


One look and my heartbeat stops

by phxy



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Aged up characters, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Armin and Mikasa are art students, Armin is kind of a stalker, At least that's what he wants people to believe, But he's cute, Eren is wonderful, F/M, Fluff, Frottage, Implied Rivetra, Jean fails, Jean has a big D, M/M, Masturbation, Mikasa is a pastel goth princess, Minor Mikasa Ackerman/Jean Kirstein, Momkasa, POV Armin Arlert, Pining, Small age gap, Social Anxiety, cashier!Eren, so it's okay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-11-28 18:19:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11423502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phxy/pseuds/phxy
Summary: Armin is smitten with a gorgeous cashier at his local grocery store and tries his best to talk to him but fails miserably.Meanwhile, his friend Mikasa is busy plotting to set him up with her brother.A cheesy love story ensues.





	1. Chapter 1

_God. This is ridiculous. I’m ridiculous. What am I even doing?_

Armin's hand comes up to fiddle with the strap on his messenger bag, his blue eyes surveying his surroundings as he stands in the midst of the crowded snack aisle at Shiganshina Supermarket on a late Friday afternoon. The store is bustling with people stocking up in preparation for the upcoming weekend, and he feels like he's drowning in a sea of sugar craved children begging their parents to get this and that and _'Oh please mom, I need this!'_ The constant shrieking has him on edge and does nothing but fuel his rapid anxiety.

With a deep breath, Armin shuts his eyes to block out the commotion and slowly inhales and exhales to calm himself down. Eventually, the tension leaves his body, and he proceeds to open his eyes, his gaze taking in the sight of the wide assortment of snacks presented on the shelves before him.  
  
If anyone bothered to pay attention to him, it would probably seem like he's simply contemplating what to get or working up the courage to sneak a candy bar into his bag. Both scenarios couldn't be further from the truth.  
  
As if deciding what kind of candy to get for his weekend alone is all that difficult. He always gets the same thing - gummy bears, his favorite. It's just the prospect of what he's about to do next that scares him. Despite having gone over the plan in his mind numerous times and trying to predict the outcome, he’s still not convinced that he will be able to go through with it.  
  
Today is the day Armin is finally going to strike up a proper conversation with Eren, the gorgeous cashier he's been crushing on for weeks.  
  
Just thinking about it overwhelms his senses, and another wave of anxiety hits him hard, the pit of his stomach twisting uncomfortably. Talking to people, in general, has always been a struggle to him but this is so much worse than speaking any other person. This is _Eren_. The only person who has the ability to turn Armin's entire being into a blubbering mess just by breathing.  
  
During their past encounters, Armin hasn't been able to utter a single word besides a quiet _'hello'_ or mumble a quick _'thank you'_ before rushing out of the store. He would be blushing so hard, nearly combusting from embarrassment while replaying every single second of their interaction in his head, leaving him mentally drained.  
  
The plan is simple, but as for the execution, Armin has doubts about his ability to follow through. Telling someone to have a nice weekend might not be a big deal to anyone else, but to Armin, it's an enormous hurdle to overcome.  
  
_Here goes nothing._  
  
Armin finally reaches out and picks up a pack of gummy bears, weighing it in his hands as he attempts to calm his racing heartbeat. Taking a deep breath, he moves out from the aisle and makes his way towards the checkout counters with a determination that will most likely deteriorate as soon as he lays eyes on his object of affections.  
  
With every step taken in the direction of the line piling up in front of him, the pounding of his heart speeds up, and his tummy begins to flutter when he locates the familiar mop of brown hair behind the register. Eren looks overwhelmed by the sheer number of shoppers lining up to pay, yet he manages to keep a polite smile on his face. He is as striking as ever, Armin thinks, and the fluttery sensation inside of him increases rapidly every second he spends watching the wonder that is Eren. With his mind distracted, he almost collides with an old lady hauling an overstuffed cart. Luckily, she only smiles and offers him her spot in line since he only has one item to pay for compared to her extreme amount of groceries.  
  
“Thank you,” he says timidly, returning the smile and bowing his head in appreciation. As much as he wants this ordeal to be over with, he can't help but feel a tad disappointed that he won't be able to spend more time admiring Eren from a safe distance. He wants to thoroughly map out every single part of that beautiful face, carve it into his memory in preparation for the inevitable daydreaming he will be doing later.  
  
There are currently four people in front of him, partially obstructing the view of the person he has gone out of his way to see. He inwardly prays that no one comes over to relieve Eren from his post. It has happened countless times already in the past, and today of all days, he wouldn't be able to deal with the frustration of being robbed of seeing Eren up close.   
  
The line is moving at a slow pace, and without being able to occupy himself by watching Eren work, Armin begins to feel jittery even though he’s only been standing there for a couple of minutes. Sweat is starting to seep into the pits of his plaid shirt, and his palms feel sticky around the plastic bag in his hold. His hands are clutching the gummy bears in a desperate attempt to stay grounded and not lose sight of his goal. He is going to talk to Eren. Nothing is stopping him this time, especially not himself.  
  
_Come on. You can do this._  
  
He’s getting closer now. Only two people remain between him and Eren. There’s a gangly looking guy with two-toned hair in front of him, fervently tapping away at his cell phone while humming happily to himself. Armin has half a mind to tell him to stop his intense texting session and move along because the lady ahead of them is now in the process of paying for her purchase. This guy doesn't appear to be in any hurry whatsoever.  
  
With a sigh, he turns his gaze, and his eyes land on lean but muscular arms disappearing underneath the material of the horrid uniform the workers are required to wear. As unflattering as the shirt is, Eren still looks incredible, the green color contrasting perfectly with his unruly brown locks and tan skin. The way it clings to his body and emphasizes his broad shoulders has Armin's heart beating so loud he's convinced everyone can hear it. His eyes wander to the name tag pinned to Eren's chest, reading the name he's repeated inside his mind a million times the past couple of weeks.

Mr. Cell Phone Guy finally pockets his phone and leans up in front of Armin to grab a box of condoms of the display above the rack carrying chewing gums and cough drops. Armin can't help but gawk at the scene in front of him, cheeks slightly flushed. Not only is the guy looking extremely pleased with himself but Eren's face is contorted in a scowl, and he looks absolutely furious.

“Oh. Hello, Eren. I didn’t see you there,” the guy states casually, waving the condoms in front of Eren who is looking progressively more pissed off by the second. “I guess these extra large condoms were blocking my view,” he adds, lips stretched into a teasing grin.

“Don’t pull that shit with me, horse face,” Eren practically snarls as he snatches the box and quickly scans it. “It’s bad enough that I have to listen to you doing God knows what to my sister, you don’t have to rub it in my face. That will be 14.99. Asshole,” he says, his eyes narrowing in a menacing glare.  
  
Armin nervously shifts on his feet, glancing between the two men, feeling like he's eavesdropping on a private conversation. Eren's sudden change in mood is a bit scary honestly. This might not be the best time to set his plan in motion after all.   
  
Eren's friend, or whatever he is, doesn't appear to be all that intimidated; he's too busy chuckling in amusement, clearly pleased that he managed to get a rise out of the other man.  
  
“It’s not my fault I’m irresistible,” he says, running a hand through his hair. To Armin, he looks ridiculous, as if he’s trying to give off an aura of being cooler than he actually is. “I could teach you a trick or two if you want,” he adds with a smirk before swiping his debit card, entering his information.  
  
Eren scoffs loudly. "No fucking thanks. Now get the hell out of here before I kick your ass. You're holding up the line," he says with an exaggerated roll of his eyes.  
  
With a shaky breath, Armin sets his candy down on the conveyor band and watches as it makes its way towards Eren’s awaiting hands, leaving his eyes to linger on them for a moment. He’s hit with a sudden desire to feel those hands on him, or even better, intertwined with his own. A warm sensation begins to spread across his body, causing him blush profusely, and his poor heart nearly breaks through his chest from beating too hard.  
  
Mentally scolding himself, Armin tries to will away the thoughts of Eren’s hands roaming all over his body, gently caressing every part of him until he's reduced to a moaning mess and begging for him to fu-

Oh, God. What he wouldn't do to be a bag of candy right now.

Wait. Did he just confess to being jealous of gummy bears? _Shit._  
  
_I’m pathetic,_ Armin thinks to himself as he rummages through his messenger bag until his fingers make contact with the wallet buried underneath his sketchbook and he pulls it out to make sure he’s ready to pay when the time comes. The first time he met Eren, he had fumbled for what felt like hours before locating it. He isn’t willing to go through that nightmare again.  
  
Mr. Cell Phone Guy turned Condom Guy finally scurries off with a wave, still smirking at Eren over his shoulder. Eren looks like he's dying to fling an insult at him but lets out a defeated sigh instead and scans the pack of gummy bears. The frown on his face fades when he turns to greet Armin, and there's a flicker of recognition in his striking teal eyes. It's not all that surprising considering Armin has made a habit of visiting the store more frequently than usual recently for... well. Obvious reasons.  
  
Eren’s expression immediately softens, his lips pulling into a smile that has Armin’s heart performing back flips.  
  
“Sorry about that. Jean is an asshole,” he says apologetically as he types in the total on the cash register. “That will be 2 euros.”  
  
Armin nods, clutching his wallet to his chest. “It’s… it’s okay,” he replies, but his voice comes out sounding like a squeak. He instantly prays for the ground to open up and swallow him, his cheeks blushing a deeper shade of pink. Eren raises an eyebrow at him, his smile widening considerably.  
  
“You okay?” he asks with a chuckle.  
  
Something about the sound of Eren's laugh sends a pleasant tingle down Armin’s spine, and he struggles to hold himself together. He nods again, this time more frantically, his heart hammering like crazy in his chest. Tucking a strand of hair behind his hair, he offers a shy smile when he dares to meet Eren's eyes, instantly regretting doing so. All of his courage falters when their gazes lock, wide blue peering into gentle teal orbs. Those eyes. They never fail to take Armin's breath away, causing his brain to malfunction to the point that he ends up staring at the other like he's grown a second head. If possible, he would do nothing but admire Eren's beauty and drown in his eyes over and over and ov-

Eren coughs, cheeks slightly flushed from Armin's scrutiny. “Uh. That will be 2 euros,” he repeats, glancing at the line piling up behind Armin and taps his fingers against the counter.  
  
It snaps Armin back to reality, and he starts to sputter an incoherent apology, his whole face tinged pink as well as the tips of his ears. _Not again,_ he thinks to himself, bitterly. _He probably hates me now. I wouldn't blame him…_  
  
Armin ducks his head in humiliation, using his bangs to shield his flustered face as he swipes his debit card. His hand shakes slightly when he inserts the code as quickly as possible. He overhears Eren exchange greetings with the elderly lady from earlier, and he grabs the candy he's no longer feels like eating. Disappointed in himself for failing yet again, he tries to leave unnoticed. However, he’s not as stealthy as he thinks he is.  
  
“Have a nice weekend!” Eren calls out to him and Armin yelps. The old lady lets out a heartfelt laugh. To make matters worse, Armin vaguely picks up on the words _‘lovely girl’_ and _‘crush.'_ Though, he doesn't stick around long enough to catch Eren’s response.  
  
With tears of frustration pricking his eyes, Armin vows to never set foot in that store ever again.


	2. Chapter 2

Staying away from the only supermarket within walking distance of your home proves rather difficult when you live in a town as small as Shiganshina Armin soon realizes. To exclusively sustain yourself on overpriced hot dogs from the gas station that's been left to simmer on a greasy griddle for God knows how long is not a feasible solution to his problems. It certainly doesn't do much for his taste buds either.

It wouldn't take long until he inevitably got food poisoning or better yet, ended up spending all of his money on something disgusting just because he wasn't brave enough to face Eren. It was irrational, he knew as much. How would he explain himself to his grandfather who had been nothing but supportive of him moving all the way from Trost so that he could attend the Art School of his choice? There had never been a shadow of doubt in his grandfather's mind as to whether Armin would be capable of taking care of himself or not.

And here he is, proving his Grandfather wrong by letting his emotions spiral out of control yet again over something as benign as a crush. His inability to stop overthinking every single word uttered in a conversation ends up causing him so much stress, making him feel ten, no a hundred, times worse than he already does. As ridiculous as it might seem to anyone else, to Armin it's nothing short of crippling in the sense that he remembers every situation where he's embarrassed himself in front of other people, in turn making him feel even more anxious around them. Because in his mind, they are surely thinking about it too while silently judging him.

Eren has to be doing it too, Armin assumes.

So after spending the majority of his weekend curled up on the couch in his onesie like a lovesick teenage girl and unable to focus on anything besides his stupid crush, he comes to the conclusion that enough is enough. Even if the thought of facing Eren again has his insides turning into a muddled mess of conflicting emotions ranging from outright fear to indescribable longing, the logical part of his brain knows there is no point in postponing the inevitable.

He had attempted to distract himself by absentmindedly rewatching old episodes of his favorite animes, but it all proved fruitless since his thoughts kept drifting back to Eren no matter how hard he tried not to obsess over him anymore. It was frustrating.

While he wallowed in self-pity, his sketchbook had been left untouched on the coffee table surrounded by candy wrappers he had been too lazy to throw out, making him feel a thousand times worse than he already did. He couldn't even bring himself to lift a pen, let alone concentrate on anything besides the mental image of Eren's bright smile; his soft looking lips curled into a cheeky grin, shining teal eyes crinkling slightly at the corners. The last ounce of determination he had managed to muster up to stay away from the store eventually faltered…

Four days. That's how long it took before Armin finds himself entering through the sliding doors to Shiganshina Supermarket again, convincing himself that the only reason he's there in the first place is his growing distaste for anything resembling a hot dog. It has nothing to do with his inability to stay away from Eren, absolutely not. However, if they were to bump into each other by accident, he wouldn't be adverse to it. He might not be brave enough to speak to Eren, but that's not to say that he's not hoping to catch a glimpse of him from afar to at least satisfy his cravings until he has worked up the courage to approach him again.

The cool air from the air conditioner in the store does wonders to his rosy cheeks which have already started to heat up in expectation. He can feel how clammy his hand already has become as it wraps around the handle of a green shopping basket.

When he finally turns his gaze towards the checkout counters in search of that familiar face he's come to adore so much; his heart skips a beat when his eyes land on a person wearing a green polo shirt. His mood instantly plummets when he realizes it's not Eren working the register, but a woman with a strawberry blonde hair that he doesn't recall seeing during any of Eren's shifts in the past. Not that he ever pays close attention to any of the other employees besides Eren, but that's beside the point.

 _Maybe he's not working today,_ Armin thinks to himself, dejected. With a small sigh, he decides to focus on his shopping instead of obsessing over Eren's whereabouts like some crazy stalker.

He makes his way through the aisles to pick up the items on the shopping list written down on his phone, crossing them off after putting them into his basket that's becoming increasingly more difficult to carry. After spending so much time in the store the past couple of weeks, he's kind of a self-proclaimed expert at knowing where everything is located, which allows him to finish up quickly. When there's only one item left to grab, he walks in the direction of the cleaning and laundry supplies at the back of the store to pick up detergent. He quickly decides on a cheap brand with a faint smell of apples.

Well. There's no point in loitering around the store if Eren isn't working, he figures. A small part of him feels relieved rather than disappointed. As much as he would love to see Eren, there's no telling how humiliating it might have been.

With another sigh, he rounds the corner, and some unknown deity must've taken pity on him or perhaps even felt like mocking him because he quite literally comes face to face with none other than Eren who looks like he’s been running down the aisle in a hurry, nearly bumping straight into Armin.

The shock of seeing him and the fact that they're close, so close, has Armin tripping on his own feet; his body almost colliding with a big stack of toilet paper.

"Whoa! Careful!"

A pair of hands quickly grips Armin's shoulders to prevent him from falling, firmly holding him in place. He lets out a small gasp and nearly drops the shopping basket he's carrying. If he were to die at this moment, he would die a very happy man because Eren's hands are finally on his body, touching him in a way he's only dared to dream about, making him feel a thousand things he probably shouldn't be feeling from a touch so innocent as this. Suddenly there's the soft graze of a fingertip against the exposed skin on his neck, and he has to suppress the urge to moan.  
  
_Oh, God. He's touching me. He's actually touching me. This can't be real._

"Sorry, I didn't see you there. You okay?" Eren asks as his eyes wander all over Armin’s body, making sure he’s not injured. Armin feels his pulse quickening under the intense scrutiny, his cheeks aflame. If the sight of Eren's concerned face isn't the cutest thing he has ever seen, he doesn't know what is.

 _Please,_ Armin begs himself. _Act normal. Don't ruin this moment._

"I'm okay," he says timidly and averts his eyes, nervously tightening his grip on the shopping basket in his hand because Eren still hasn't let go of him and as much as he never wants him to, it's starting to feel a bit awkward. He's obviously not hurt so why..?

Honestly, Armin is starting to suspect that this is how the heroines feel in all the Korean Dramas he occasionally watches but without the kissing part. Oh, he wouldn't mind that part one bit.

When he finally allows himself to sneak a peek at Eren, there's a strange look on his face that Armin can't read and it seems like he wants to say something. The two of them just stare at each other for what feels like minutes, maybe even hours, but in reality, it's only been a couple of seconds. Although Armin still has enough time to notice how messy Eren's hair is and it's making him look even more adorable than he already is if that's even possible. _Maybe he just got here,_ Armin thinks. Maybe he's been lounging around in bed watching Netflix in his pajamas, or worse, spent the day having sex with someone. Shit. He probably has a girlfriend. It wouldn't make sense for someone as gorgeous as Eren to be single.

The mere thought of Eren doing those sort of things with someone else makes his insides twist uncomfortably, and he's about to make up an excuse to leave when Eren takes a deep breath before opening his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by the sound of a door opening next to them.

“Jaeger, what hell is taking so long?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Armin sees a black haired man, almost the same height as him, but despite his small stature, he gives off an air of superiority and intimidation. He's dressed in a button up in the same unsightly color as the polo shirt Eren is wearing, casually leaning against the doorframe to the entrance of the area restricted to staff only. There's a look of disapproval on his face as he watches them, his gray eyes narrowed.

"Ahh! I'm sorry! Ackerman, sir. My roommate stole my car keys, and I had to run all the way here!" Eren tries to explain, but the man doesn't appear to be listening. Instead, he turns to walk through the door, motioning for Eren to follow him inside.

 _Wait, what? Ackerman? That's the same last name as..._ Armin thinks, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets from staring too hard at the man. _It couldn't be him, could it?_

"I don't care," the man says, sighing as he continues to walk before he adds, "Oh, and no flirting on the job, save that crap for later. Jesus fucking Christ."

"Wha...? It's not what it looks like!"

Eren lets out a strangled noise as his gaze shifts back to Armin, and his eyes widen almost comically, clearly not realizing he's still touching Armin in a way that's most likely inappropriate for an employee to do to a customer and removes his hands. There's a delectable flush staining his tan cheeks. Armin isn’t fairing much better if the heat radiating from his face is any indication, he probably looks just as flustered.

“I should go,” Eren says as he scratches the back of his head sheepishly and adds, "I've got my one-month evaluation and I've already fucked up by being late. Shit." The words are pouring out of his mouth a jumbled mess, making Armin feel guilty for keeping him when he has somewhere else to be.

Armin tucks a strand of hair behind his hair and turns to leave, peering over his shoulder and offers a small smile.

“Good luck. I’m sure you’ll do great,” he says shyly.

"You think so?" Eren asks, smiling widely at him with flushed cheeks. "Thanks, Armin!"

"No problem," Armin replies before leaving with a small wave, walking towards the checkout with a stupid grin on his face.

It's not until hours later when he’s nuzzling into his pillow and preparing to sleep that he realizes that Eren had called him by his name.

 

* * *

 

While feeling thoroughly exhausted from lack of sleep and stressed out after nearly oversleeping, Armin immerses himself in his course work at the University in an attempt to distract himself from all the unanswered questions swirling around in the back of his mind. Despite the utter exhaustion, he manages to finish a watercolor painting of the ocean he's been struggling with the past week. However, every green and blue brush stroke, blending in a beautiful shade of teal, has his thoughts creeping back to the issue of Eren who for some unbeknown reason knew his name. How is that even possible?

His friend, Mikasa, keeps throwing him worried glances across the room, from behind her canvas, all of which Armin ignores in favor of overthinking things as per usual. He can tell she's concerned about him, but he can't bring himself to confide in her. She maintains her distance, most likely sensing that he’s not in the mood to talk.  
  
At lunch time, they walk together in silence to the cafeteria and sit down at their usual table before Mikasa can't hold herself back any longer. There's a troubled expression on her usually stoic face, her perfectly shaped eyebrows furrowing. Armin can't help but feel guilty about being the reason that she looks so worried.

“Are you okay, Armin?” she asks softly before taking a small sip of her chocolate milk. Her gaze lingers on the banana Armin pulls out of his messenger bag, the only proper food he had time to grab before running to the bus. He should've known that Mikasa would worry. She's always pushing him to eat better, insisting that he’s too thin.

“I’m fine,” Armin responds, peeling his banana with a forced smile plastered on his face. He shakes his head when Mikasa offers him half of her sandwich, and she narrows her eyes, staring at him intently.

“Take it,” she says, not leaving any room for negotiation as she thrusts it into the palm of his hand. Touched by the small gesture, Armin accepts it.

“Thanks,” he murmurs and sets it aside for later. “Are _you_ okay?” he shoots back in a small attempt to change the subject. The deadpan expression on his friend’s face tells him that she’s well aware of what he’s trying to pull.

"I'm doing alright," she says with a shrug, her gray eyes peer over at him and she brings a hand up to play with the tips of her long hair that are currently dyed a pastel purple color. “Just worried about you.”

Armin chomps down on his banana, chewing slowly as he avoids her gaze, contemplating whether he should just tell her about his problems or not. Contrary to what people might believe, Mikasa is probably one of the most empathetic people he has ever known. There's no way she would make fun of him for falling head over heels for a stranger who coincidentally called him by his name like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Ever since they became friends at the beginning of the Fall semester one month prior, Mikasa has been nothing short of supportive of him no matter what and he's shared things with her that he's never dared to speak of to anyone else in the past. The two of them just clicked the instant they met and have been inseparable ever since. On the outside, they look like complete opposites of each other but what brought them together was their shared interests in Japanese pop culture, especially anime and manga.

Not only is she kind, but she's also drop dead gorgeous, always covered from head to toe in skulls, crosses and cutesy patterns in various shades of pastels paired with the edgiest black clothes you could even begin to imagine. She even carries around a bag shaped like a coffin to complete her look. Armin had found it cute until she had threatened to bury Marlowe in it for nearly spilling paint all over a drawing she had been working on for hours. Since then, people had been overly cautious around her, and no one doubted for a second that she was capable of following through with her threat if the situation called for it.

“So have you given any more thought to the thing we discussed last week?”

Armin immediately stiffens in his chair. After coming out to Mikasa as gay, she has been adamant about playing matchmaker between him and her brother who is, according to her, straight as a circle. Armin appreciates the sentiment; he truly does. But he's hesitant about being set up with someone he doesn't know, especially if his suspicions about Mikasa's brother being the scary looking man from yesterday are in fact correct.  
  
There’s also the undeniable crush on Eren to take into consideration. It wouldn't feel right to Armin to date someone when he’s interested in another guy.  
  
“I have it on good authority that he’s an excellent kisser,” Mikasa adds with a half-shrug.

Armin almost chokes on his banana.

“Please, don’t tell me you’ve made out with your brother,” he says quietly, his eyes sweeping around the cafeteria in case someone is listening in on their conversation. He’s well aware that Mikasa is adopted, but there’s no telling what people would make of it if they heard it out of context.  
  
“That’s gross,” she says, scrunching her nose in disgust. “My boyfriend kissed him once in High School during spin the bottle. For someone claiming to be straight, he seemed to enjoy it a whole lot.”

“Aren’t you worried? About him being… _you know_ ,” Armin says, his voice even lower this time.

“I don’t care. I know he loves me and that’s all that matters,” Mikasa says, her eyes turning fond as her gaze settles on Armin’s face, giving him a small teasing smile. “You could have that too if you would just let me set you up with my brother.”  
  
Armin covers his mouth with his hand, trying to hold back a giggle threatening to escape past his lips despite the seriousness of the discussion.  
  
"You're not gonna take no for an answer, are you?" he says, raising an eyebrow at her.  
  
“Nope,” she replies, making a popping sound at the end of the word after drawing it out.  
  
“I’ll… I’ll think about it,” he lies, smiling as he picks up his half of the sandwich off the table and proceeds to take a small bite, almost moaning at the flavor of ham and cheese on his tongue. He was hungrier than he thought, not all that unexpected since he had hardly eaten anything during the past couple of days besides gummy bears and hot dogs.  
  
“Look, I know I’m pushy about this, and I'm sorry,” Mikasa says, her smile fading and brows furrowing. “I just think the two of you would be good for each other.”

Still chewing his sandwich, Armin nods his head as he swallows and waves his free hand dismissively. “Don’t worry. I’m not mad. Just… scared, I guess,” he admits and averts his gaze.

Scared is an understatement. Terrified would be a more fitting word to describe how Armin is feeling. He’s only had one boyfriend before, and he had ended up heartbroken when the other boy, Reiner, broke up with him out of the blue because he had caught feelings for their friend Bertholdt. The breakup had been anti-climactic with no drama whatsoever yet it still left him with a constant feeling of inadequacy and self-doubt, especially when it came to dating. Why would anyone want to do date him when there are tons of other more better-suited people in the world?

Armin's thoughts are disrupted when a hand comes to rest on his shoulder, and he meets Mikasa’s eyes across the table. She watches him knowingly, well aware of what he must be thinking.

“It will be okay, I promise,” she assures him, squeezing his shoulder gently. “If Eren hurts you I will destroy him.”  
  
For a second, Armin assumes he must have heard her wrong. But then, everything clicks inside his mind and it dawns on him that Mikasa is still referring to her brother. His eyes widen at the realization.

“What?” she asks, tilting her head in confusion.

“Did you say Eren?”

“Yeah? I told you his name was Eren, didn't I? Why? Do you know him?”

No. Armin would have remembered if she had mentioned that specific name before. She usually refers to him as her "idiot big brother." Come to think of it; she rarely talks about her personal life in general. All Armin knows is that she was adopted at a young age and has two older brothers, one close to her in age and the other in his mid-thirties whom she didn't have any relationship with because of the age difference. The younger, Eren apparently, had always been close to her while growing up.

Armin briefly wonders if that other man he met is her oldest brother, but it wouldn’t make sense for Eren to be so formal with him. Besides, they didn’t look like they were related at all.  
  
“I don't know,” he eventually replies, his voice quiet.

Humming in response, Mikasa withdraws her hand and sits back down in her seat.

“Hold on. I'll show you a picture.”  
  
She shuffles through her coffin bag and pulls out her purple cell phone, tapping away at the screen for a bit before leaning over the table again to hold it up for Armin to get a close look at it.

It was unmistakably the same person.

Of all the pictures she could’ve picked, she had to choose one of Eren at the beach, looking all bronzed and gorgeous, dressed in nothing but red tropical printed swimming trunks as he’s relaxing on a bath towel next to that Jean guy. The image has Armin swallowing hard, his mouth subsequently becoming dry and he’s feeling very, very, _thirsty_ all of a sudden. If he didn’t know better, it would seem as if Mikasa is doing all of this deliberately to force a reaction out of him.

After mentally debating with himself about coming clean for a couple of seconds, he decides not to and tries his best to look uninterested, willing his face into a blank expression.

“No, I don't know him,” Armin says, nervously fiddling with his fingers under the table and trying to act as indifferent as possible with Mikasa watching him closely. There’s no way she buys it, he thinks. Their eyes meet, and she lets out a snort, retracting her hand and puts the phone down on the table beside her.

“You know,” he continues to speak, “There’s this guy at Shiganshina Supermarket who has the same last name as you. I assumed he was your brother.” He laughs nervously, knowing full well that mentioning the store will definitely give him away, but he can’t bring himself to care anymore.

Mikasa wrinkles her nose in distaste at the question.

"You mean Levi? That grumpy old bastard is my cousin," she says matter-of-factly. "He's also married."

"Oh."

Armin doesn't know what else to say. Mikasa apparently doesn't seem too keen to discuss it any further since she turns her attention to her phone again, scrolling through her social media while sipping on her chocolate milk again. Neither one of them talk for the remainder of their meal and Armin is just about to suggest they leave soon if they don’t want to be late for Graphic Design with the quirky but extremely talented Hanji Zoe when Mikasa opens her mouth to speak, successfully slaughtering Armin's poor heart with her words.

“I showed Eren a picture of you. He said you were cute.”

Armin’s cheeks flush a dark shade of pink and he whimpers. “Why did you do that? I never agreed to date him!” He pouts, crossing his arms over his chest and adds with a grumble, “I’m not cute.”

Rolling her eyes, Mikasa clutches her scarf and traces her finger across the table absentmindedly, not at all bothered by his outburst.

“Relax. He just wanted to know what my friend looked like.”

“Oh.” Armin lets out a breath. That explains why Eren knew his name in the first place and he can finally stop obsessing over it.

“We should get to class before all the best seats are taken,” Mikasa says and moves to pick up her bag. “Last time we sat in the front we didn't get anything done ‘cuz Hanji kept disrupting us.”

Armin nods in agreement and gathers his things as well. When he's made sure he hasn't left anything behind he falls into step with his friend. They walk together in silence, and Armin occasionally looks at Mikasa from the corner of his eye. He’s curious if Eren has mentioned him at all, but that would be presumptions of him to ask wouldn't it? There's no way Eren would even care that much about him to bring it up.

Mikasa brings out her phone and types a message, most likely to her boyfriend. Oh right. His name is Jean. And he needs extra large condoms. Armin isn't sure if he feels sorry for Mikasa's lady parts or if he's envious of her because of that piece of information. He decides not to dwell on it.

Mikasa eventually pockets her phone when they reach their destination and glances at him; her lips pulled into a teasing smile.

“I sent you that picture of Eren. You can thank me later.”

Armin nearly trips on the doorsill to the classroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer than expected to get out, but life kinda got in the way. Sorry! OTL
> 
> I hope you enjoyed some more awkward Armin as well cutie Eren, big boss Levi and Queen Mikasa.
> 
> Oh, Jean. Don't steal Eren's car keys. You have perfectly fine hoofs. Use em.


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next week, life flies by in a relatively normal fashion, and Armin finds himself engrossed in his studies, spending his days at the University with Mikasa by his side and occupied with catching up on his homework during the evenings. After neglecting it for far too long in favor of pining after Eren like some lovesick puppy, he finally concludes that he can't put his academic career in jeopardy anymore. It would break his Grandfather's heart as well as his own if he flunked out because he was too busy daydreaming.

Mikasa hasn't brought up the topic of Eren again, and Armin almost wishes she would say something about it. There are so many things he’s dying to know about Eren, but at the same time, he's afraid of coming off as too eager or desperate. However, Armin doesn't fail to notice the way Mikasa looks at him with a knowing gleam in her eyes when she thinks he isn't paying attention to her. But she doesn't push him to talk, presumably waiting for him to breach the subject himself when he's ready.

It's not like Armin is averse to the idea of being set up anymore. It's quite the opposite. But it's the fact that it's _Eren_ that's holding him back. He would love to go on a date with him, and possibly become something more and be able to hold him, kiss him and do all kinds of mushy couple stuff he's been dreaming about ever since they first met. But the fear of rejection has such a powerful hold over his feelings, constantly nagging in the back of his mind and prevents him from pursuing the thing he truly desires. There's no denying it anymore. He's completely smitten with Eren.  
  
Armin's newfound determination to put more effort into his studies takes up most of his spare time. The rare moments he allows himself to take a breather from his text books, he's too exhausted to move away from the comfort of his couch which means he hasn't set foot inside Shiganshina Supermarket in over a week and he's suffering from a bad case of withdrawal. Oh, and a shortage of food and toilet paper, none of which he can live without for much longer. It's only a matter of time now before he gives in to the temptation of seeing Eren in person again.

It's a Friday afternoon, and Armin is lazing on the couch in his bunny pajamas with his arms wrapped around his Rilakkuma plushie, his slipper clad feet laying on top of the armrest. His final lecture of the day was cut short due to the professor receiving an urgent phone call and had to take off early. Worn out from a long week of nothing but studying, Armin can't bring himself to move. He binge watches old episodes of Dragon Ball Z on his laptop sitting on top of the coffee table in front of him. It serves as a good enough pass time for a couple of hours until his stomach grumbles loudly, promptly reminding him that he hasn't eaten anything since this morning.

Armin doesn't even bother to check his cupboards for something to snack on; he already knows there's nothing edible inside except for a lone can of chopped tomatoes, meaning he's going to have to get off his butt and get some shopping done if he doesn't want to starve to death. There's always the possibility of Eren working that he just can't pass up after depriving himself for so long. Just one small glimpse would be more than enough.

His phone chimes from the coffee table where it's plugged into the laptop while the battery is charging, alerting him of a new text message. Without pausing the episode he's currently watching, he reaches over to unplug the device, not caring if he misses out on a couple of minutes of the endless fight between Son Goku and Frieza.  
  
**[Mikasa Ackerman, 15:59]:** I know it's last minute, but Sasha invited me over for a girls night. Do you want to join us? Ymir and Christa are going too.

Armin's eye twitches as he reads the text. Sure, it's nice to feel included but a girls night? Not exactly his cup of tea. Even if it’s just a simple hang out, Sasha’s house is half an hour away, and he's not all that familiar with the other girls even though he's met them a few times on campus. It's obvious he's just making up weak excuses in his mind to get out of it, but the thought of spending the night in the company of strangers is nerve wracking, even if Mikasa is going to be there as well. He sends a quick reply.

 **[Armin Arlert, 15:01]:** Thanks for the invite but I think I have to pass. Need to buy groceries. Rain check?

 _Don’t mention Eren, don’t mention Eren, don’t mention Eren,_ he chants inside his head until his phone buzzes again.

 **[Mikasa Ackerman, 16.03]:** It’s okay. Maybe next time then.

Armin breathes a sigh of relief and starts typing another text to express how sorry he is about declining the invitation when one more message pops up.

 **[Mikasa Ackerman, 16:04]:** Tell Eren I said hi and let him know I want him to get popcorn for our movie night tomorrow.

 **[Mikasa Ackerman, 16:04]:** ;)

With a small chuckle, Armin slumps back onto the couch while clutching the cell phone to his chest. Despite the embarrassment of being called out on his true intentions, there's the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

He continues to just to lay there, his thumb absentmindedly drawing random patterns on the rubbery surface of the protective case attached to his phone while the laptop blares at him on the table where it sits forgotten. The sound effects of the ongoing battle blast through the speakers, but he makes no effort to turn it off or lower the volume.

Instead, he swiftly unlocks his phone again, but this time his focus is solely on the picture Mikasa sent him that he keeps hidden in case anyone were to look through his gallery. Carefully, he pinches the screen to zoom in, granting him a better view of every detail on that toned body that's been haunting him, as well as his libido, the past week. It looks even more enticing than he could've ever imagined it would be underneath that horrid green polo shirt Eren is required to wear at work.

Mikasa had gone out of her way to crop the picture before sending it, but even if she hadn't bothered to do it, there's no way his eyes would ever stray away from Eren looking so breathtakingly gorgeous in his fitted swimming trunks. The single piece of clothing hang obscenely low on his hips, and even though the image quality is far from perfect, Armin can still make out the faintest trace of a tan line across his narrow waist.

Sighing longingly, Armin swipes his finger across the screen until Eren's face is in focus, contently admiring the androgynous features on display. From the plush looking lips parting in a way that could be considered downright filthy, nose slightly upturned and adorned with a barely noticeable sprinkle of freckles, to the thick and bushy eyebrows above a pair of eyes set in a heavy lidded gaze so intense Armin feels a shiver run up his spine from looking at it too long. Surely, Eren is merely exhausted from spending time in the sun all day, but it still has Armin's thoughts drifting into less than innocent territory.

Once more his eyes travel downwards to explore the hard lines of Eren's firm chest, covered in a sheen layer of sweat visible in the bright sunlight. There are grains of sand clinging to his sides, Armin notices.

His free hand comes to rest on the exposed skin on his stomach where his pajama top was riding up, his fingers brushing across the soft expanse of his tummy, feeling like he's about to burst from all the flutter inside of him. The feather like touches of his fingertips has him gasping softly, goose bumps prickling up all over his skin and his eyes never leave the screen on his phone as his mind begins to wander. He tries to imagine how Eren's body would feel like under the palm of his hands and if it's as smooth as it looks in the picture. It's devoid of any body hair except for a distinct patch of dark locks trailing beneath the red swimming trunks.

The knowledge of what's hidden underneath them is enough to send waves of arousal straight to his crotch and his touches become more fervent as his hand travels further down to slip inside the elastic waistband of his pajama shorts. He's already half-hard and leaking when his fingers carefully wrap around his cock in a firm grip.

A barely audible gasp slips from his parted lips when he begins touching himself in a slow and gentle pace, and it doesn't take much to coax him into a full-blown erection with his eyes glued to the screen. It's not the first time he pleasures himself to the thought of Eren, and probably not the last, but he's still unable to completely discard the feeling of guilt gnawing away at the back of his mind.

Each stroke carries him higher and higher until he's panting hard, cheeks flushed a dark shade of pink, and he instinctively starts bucking his hips up into his hand. Sliding the pad of his thumb teasingly over the sensitive head, he coats his finger with pre-cum before dipping back down to spread the moisture over his length, grip tightening slightly as he continues to stare at the picture. But the awkward angle of his arm is making him uncomfortable, and he eventually has to abandon the phone and solely rely on his imagination.

"Mhm..."

His eyebrows scrunch together, and a series of breathy moans escape his lips when he squeezes himself harder, eyes fluttering shut as he keeps sinking deeper into the haze of pleasure. The picture of Eren has long since burned into Armin's mind, so it doesn't take long to conjure up mental images of himself occupying the worn out bath towel next to Eren. They're both naked; bodies pressed flush together in the blazing heat of the sun that only makes Eren's skin appear more tantalizing, his rippling muscles glistening with sweat. Armin has to bite his lip as he pictures himself exploring every inch of him; kissing, licking and nipping wherever his mouth can reach.

In his mind, Eren can't get enough of him, touching every part of his body at once, mouth ghosting the shell of his ear as filthy words tumble from his lips, each syllable dirtier than the previous, making Armin whimper as he pumps his cock faster.

Then they're kissing fiercely, sloppily, all tongue and teeth and hands gripping at the other's hair. Eren lowers his hips, his movements frantic and messy as they grind their erections together. Armin strokes himself more vigorously, as he tries to match the rhythm with his hand as it slides up and down the length of his cock.

As he continues to pump himself faster and harder, soft moans are spilling from his lips with every stroke, but it's nowhere near as satisfying as it should be because of the tight restriction of his pajama bottoms. With shivering hands, he yanks them down over his hips and drops them carelessly on the floor, sighing as his cock springs free from the confinement, leaving him in nothing but fuzzy slippers and yellow pajama top that barely covers his chest anymore. The soft fabric has scrunched up to expose his stiff nipples, making his breath hitch when the cold air grazes his flushed skin.

Armin briefly thinks about how ridiculous he must look right now, but can't bring himself to care as he slings an arm over his eyes and curls his fingers around his cock again, trying to get back into his fantasy.

The scenario changes and in his mind, Armin is still naked and sprawled out on his back on top a fluffy queen size bed in an all-white room, rubbing himself the same way he's doing in real life. Eren is close by, his eyes glazed over with lust as he watches Armin pleasure himself. The thought of someone witnessing him like this is oddly arousing, stirring something unexpected in him he hasn't experienced before. He rocks his hips, fucking up into his hand, pretending Eren is right next to him, fisting his own rock hard cock at the sight of Armin losing himself in ecstasy.

Eventually, he removes the arm covering his eyes, and it falls to his side. His fingers tightly grip the Rilakkuma plushie lodged between him and the backrest of the couch as he watches himself, licking his dry lips in anticipation. The moans slipping past his lips are becoming increasingly louder, whimpers more frequent. He almost struggles to breathe as he feels his climax getting closer, thrusting faster into his fist; doing anything he can to bring himself over the edge.

The continuous sounds coming through the speakers on the laptop provides the perfect background noise to drown out the unintelligible noises he makes when he finally cums, hard and shameless on his pale chest, his back arching as he cries out Eren's name.

His body feels completely drained of energy, sated and relaxed, and he wants nothing more than to just snuggle up and enjoy the afterglow, but his hands are sticky and gross. Sighing, he grabs the discarded pajama shorts off the floor and cleans himself up since he's too lethargic to get off the couch to fetch tissues. When he's finished, he wraps himself up in a warm blanket and cuddles Rilakkuma again, smiling softly to himself before dozing off.

 

* * *

 

It's only half an hour left until closing time when Armin subsequently steps through the doors to Shiganshina Supermarket, his clothes disheveled after leaving in a hurry, and hair still damp from a quick shower tucked into a black slouchy beanie. His nap lasted a lot longer than he'd liked and when he woke up he was famished.

The store is nearly empty save for the occasional person popping in for a last minute snack which isn't all that unexpected considered how late it is. It doesn't bother Armin the slightest. The absence of other shoppers makes him feel more at ease as he strolls along the aisles, picking up enough food to last him throughout the weekend. He even gets some name brand ramen noodles that are twice the price as the cheap ones he usually gets but after the stressful week he's had he's allowed to spoil himself a little bit.

He hasn't seen Eren anywhere, which is the huge relief since it's only been a few hours since Armin purposely pleasured himself to the thought of him, and it still has him feeling a bit flustered about it.

A woman's voice comes through the loud speakers, announcing that the store will be closing in 15 minutes and urges people to finish up their shopping. So Armin hurries over to the snacks to pick up some gummy bears and contemplates whether he should buy a bag of Barbecue Flavored Potato Chips or not in case he ends up binge watching anime again.

"Petra, could I talk to you for a second?"

Armin freezes, his heart speeding up at the sound of that familiar voice before slowly leaning over to peer behind the shelf. His eyes instantly find his target of affections idly chatting with that strawberry blonde woman from last time. Eren is crouched down on the floor, and it makes his butt look good, like really good, and Armin almost can't stop staring at it. The way the material of his jeans stretched over his bottom almost makes Armin's mouth water. The woman has approached Eren, and they're currently talking about something Armin can't make out, their voices too low.

Biting the inside of his lip, Armin mulls over his options in his head. He could get his shit together and say hi, it's not that weird right? They are somewhat acquainted now, aren't they? Or he could just ignore Eren, but he would have to walk past him to get to the checkout.

Armin must've been standing there for too long, lost in his thoughts because the woman is gone now and Eren is staring right at him, mouth slightly open and surprise evident on his face as if he hadn't expected to see him. But then he waves, lips pulling into a small smile. It has Armin's brain nearly short circuiting and he timidly brings his hand up to wave back. _Oh, God_. Eren resumes stocking the shelf but spares Armin one last glance and holds up a finger as if telling him to stay put until he's finished.

Oh no. Did he think Armin was staring because he wanted to speak to him? Not that he blames Eren for misreading his intentions, he had been loitering around there for no reason besides gawking at Eren's flawless backside like some pervert for far a long time. He most likely thinks  Armin needs his assistance in finding something in the store.

But wait. What it Eren actually has something to say to him? Maybe something happened to Mikasa?

Armin quickly checks his phone to see if she has texted him, but the last message is still the winky face she sent hours earlier.

So he just stands there for what feels like hours, growing increasingly more nervous before he dips back in behind the shelf to try and make himself look presentable, running his fingers through his messy bangs while his heart is threatening to beat its way out of his chest. He cups a hand over his mouth to make sure his breath doesn't stink.

Suddenly there's pressure on his shoulder, a hand gripping him tightly, and Armin jerks his head around to see a security guard looming over him, standing so close it has his chest clenching in anxiety.

"I need you to hand over your bag so I can search it," the man says sternly, and as soon the words leave his mouth, Armin realizes it's Jean, sporting a black and light blue uniform. He shrinks back, feeling uncomfortable under the scrutiny and can't help but think that the vicious look in Jean's eyes makes him look more of an evil villain than a public servant.

The lack of response from Armin has Jean letting out a deep sigh in irritation, and his hand moves to grab hold of the strap on the messenger bag slung across Armin's chest in an attempt to yank it away.

"Just hand it over, kid," he says, agitated, and Armin finally understands what's going on, something he has feared for a long time. Jean suspects him of stealing, the notion so absurd he almost feels like laughing.

“Let go! You’re gonna rip it.” Armin's eyes widen when Jean starts pulling harder, and he scrambles to back away before the strap tears at the seams but by doing so he only manages to break it himself, and he watches it tumble to the floor, its contents spilling out in disarray.

Falling to his knees, he lets go of his shopping basket, and his lower lip starts to tremble as he pulls the bag into his arms. It had been a birthday present from his Grandfather when he turned 15 and even though it's old and the fabric is looking worse for wear by the day; he cherishes it so much, words can't even begin to describe it. They barely had enough money to spend on gifts back then, but his Grandfather had still managed to surprise him by getting his hands on a cheap knock off that looked almost like the real thing. It was just a matter of time before it gave out, especially since Armin has a bad habit of always carrying books around. It still breaks his heart though.  
  
Stroking the worn out fabric clutched to his chest, he tries not to cry when he looks at the mess in front of him. Papers, books, sketch pad, wallet and other knick knacks are scattered all across the floor. Jean reaches down to pick something up, snorting to himself.  
  
Armin starts to shake his head frantically at Jean who is holding something resembling a candy bar and looking far too pleased with himself. _No, no, no!_ He hasn't stolen anything! Someone must've planted it on him when he wasn't paying attention. But how is that even possible? There are barely any people around and why would they even do such a thing to him?  
  
Unless Jean was the one who did it, he thinks. But he immediately feels guilty for even jumping to that conclusion.  
  
"Aha! I knew it," Jean boasts way too loud, attracting Eren's attention. He watches them in confusion for a second before getting up and starts making his way towards them, an annoyed expression plastered to his face.  
  
_Oh no._ Armin starts to panic. Eren is probably going to think he did it too. Just when things were moving forward between the two of them, this had to happen.  
  
"I didn't take anything, I swear," he pleads weakly, tears stinging his eyes.  
  
"Oi, horse face. What are you doing to Armin?" Eren asks, eyes darting between the two of them. Armin avoids his gaze, sniffling.  
  
Jean tilts his head and raises a brow. "Hah? This kid was trying to steal shit. You should be grateful, man," he says, scoffing.  
  
"Armin wouldn't do that," Eren says, incredulous at the accusation. "He comes in all the time."  
  
"Yeah? Probably to stake out the place before his heist," Jean says in a patronizing tone. "Just look at what I found in his bag," he adds, nearly shoving the candy bar in Eren's face. "Still think he's innocent?"  
  
Eren snatches it out of his hand, studying it intently for a moment before holding it back up for Jean to see, his face deadpan.  
  
"Jean. You're a fucking dumbass," he says as he points to the label and adds, "we don't sell this flavor. It's from Japan."  
  
_Oh right,_ Armin thinks. Mikasa gave him a Strawberry Cheesecake KitKat to try a few days ago, and it had been tucked away in his bag ever since. He had completely forgotten about it. Sighing in relief, he wipes away the moisture gathering in the corner of his eyes.  
  
"What?" Jean says in disbelief, mouth twisted into a scowl and he leans in to look at the red wrapper, which had Katakana written on it, something he had failed to notice.  
  
"Hey, I'm not some fucking candy expert," he mutters, folding his arms over his chest, glaring at Eren who's looking far too smug.  
  
"You're not an expert at anything," Eren says and waves his hand in the air dismissively, smirking. "I'm surprised you manage to keep this job in the first place."  
  
Armin watches in bewilderment as the two men throw insults at each other, occasionally glancing around the place to see if anyone is going to break them up because there's no way he would be able to do it himself.  
  
“I swear to God, Eren. If you don't shut the fuck up, I will murder you in your sleep, and I don't care if Mikasa gets pissed at me ‘cause it will be fucking worth it.”  
  
Laughing, Eren puts a hand on his hip and continues to mock him.  
  
“I see your lips moving, but all I hear is _neigh, neigh, neigh, neigh, nei-_ ”  
  
They are getting louder and louder for each passing second, and Armin starts collecting his papers and books that are littered all around the floor. He needs to leave or maybe get someone before this gets out of hand. The thought of having to go to such lengths is enough to stress him out even more because what if they get in trouble because of him?  
  
Thankfully, there's another voice chiming in between the excessive bickering. Armin sees the strawberry blonde woman, Petra, approach them.  
  
"Boys!" she says and claps her hands together to get their attention. "Knock it off right now, or I won't hesitate to call Levi."  
  
Both of them go quiet and stare at her, looking like deer caught in headlights, eyes wide. Eren snaps out of it relatively quickly and goes up to her and grabs her by the shoulders.

"Please, Petra. You know he will kill us," he cries, shaking her slightly. Armin can tell she's trying not to laugh but maintains a straight face as she narrows her eyes.

"Maybe he should," she says, raising an eyebrow. "You promised this wouldn't happen again."

"I didn't do anything," Eren continues to say. "It was Jean who started it!"

"Like hell I did!" Jean barks, his eyes glaring daggers at his friend.

"I don't care who started... whatever this is," Petra says, gesturing to the remaining contents of the bag still laying on the floor and glancing at Armin who is still sitting in the midst of it, trying to appear invisible.

"I won't tell him about it, okay? We have to get ready for closing time. I suggest you hurry up if you want to pay for your things, Blondie," she says to Armin. He groans inwardly at the nick name, but at least he's not being referred to a girl for once.

"In the meantime, you two," she goes on to say, looking between Eren and Jean, "better stay away from each other, or I'll have no choice but to tell my hubby what's been going on in his absence."

"Thank you, Petra. You're the best," Eren says, grinning. She sighs and walks off before he can say anything else, and Jean is quick to leave as well, probably checking to see if there are any lingering people in the store.

Armin can't bring himself to look at Eren, trying to gather his things as fast as possible. Despite having slept for hours during the afternoon, he feels exhausted wouldn't mind curling up under a blanket for the remainder of the day.

When he's made sure everything is where it's supposed to be, he remembers the KitKat, and he forces himself to look up, eyes sweeping around the area, but Eren is nowhere to be seen which is odd, he thinks. He was right there a second ago.

Armin finally gets off the floor and wipes off some dust from his jeans and grabs the shopping basket and tucks the ruined bag under his free arm before heading to the checkout.

"Hey, Armin!"

Blinking, he notices Eren walking towards him with a white and green shopping bag in his hand.

"I thought maybe you needed something for your bag," he says with a small smile and hands it over. "It might be difficult to carry like that."

It is such a sweet gesture, and Armin almost feels like swooning, but that would be ridiculous on so many levels. He could have easily just bought an extra bag himself, and Eren must know that too, but he still went out of his way to help him.

"Thanks," Armin says shyly, and when he reaches to accept it their fingers brush briefly, and he can feel his cheeks heating up from the contact.

Eren mumbles a quiet _‘you’re welcome’_ and leans a little closer, watching Armin intently as he stuffs his bag away.

"Mikasa can probably fix it for you if you ask her," he eventually says, his voice gentle. "She's really good at that stuff."

Armin hums softly, smiling. "Yeah, maybe I will. Thanks."

He adjusts the grip on the shopping basket in his hand and notices the large clock on the wall and realizes he's running out of time with Eren and struggles to come up with something to say. Suddenly he's painfully aware of the proximity between them and has to force himself to breathe.

"I should get going" he blurts out, even if he never wants to leave.

"I'm sorry," Eren says simultaneously.

They stare at each other for a second, before Eren bursts out laughing and Armin can't help but chuckle lightly, still feeling a bit awkward.

"What are you sorry about?" Armin urges him to continue.

Eren smiles sheepishly, scratching his cheek. "Well, I... you know, for last time. I didn't see you for a while, so I thought I freaked you out or something,"

A warm and fuzzy feeling settles in Armin's chest, causing him to blush furiously and he opens his mouth before closing it only to open it again, a smile tugging on his lips, as he speaks;

"No, no. It's fine. I was just surprised you even knew who I was," he explains, still not over the fact that Eren has noticed his absence and worried about him being upset.

"Yeah, about that..." Eren says, "Mikasa showed me a picture of you."

"So I've heard," Armin replies lamely, reminded of the picture he's seen in return and blushes even harder. If Eren only knew the things he's done while looking at it.

Eren must sense his awkwardness because he gives him a reassuring grin.

“Don’t worry. You looked cute in it."

It's official. Armin is going to die from blushing too much if that's even possible. His face is so warm and it feels like he's running a fever. Oh, but he's sick though. Lovesickness is real, and Eren is the cause of it all. How can he even say these things so effortlessly? Doesn't he understand that his mere presence reduces Armin to a blushing mess and causes him to lose his mind? Or is he just too dense to notice?

“I’m... I'm not cute," he manages to retort, puffing his cheeks. Because if there's one thing he loathes more than being mistaken for a girl, it's people calling him cute, even if it's kind of flattering coming from Eren.  
  
“What are you going on about? You’re like… the perfect combination of sexy and cute,” Eren says, smirking.

Armin nearly chokes on his saliva. No. Eren is definitely oblivious, or this is, in fact, a dream because there's no way the guy he's been pining after actually finds him attractive and he's tempted to pinch himself to make sure this is real.

_Hold on._

Instead of denying it like he usually would have, Armin quickly puts his hand over his mouth, but it's too late. The giggles pour out, and he can't stop, not even when Eren gapes at him, looking almost offended with a small flush on his cheeks.

"Did you... did you just," Armin says, eyes dancing with mirth, as he as he gasps for air, laughing in a way he hasn't done in a very long time, "Did you just quote Ryan Gosling's character in Crazy Stupid Love?"

If he remembers correctly, that movie was all about how to pick up women, so this has to be an indication that Eren really is flirting with him albeit a bit awkwardly.

“Well it worked didn't it?” Eren asks, his bottom lip jutting out in a small pout, and he crosses his arms over his chest.

“That’s… I don’t know what to say,” Armin says, suddenly feeling flustered again when his amusement has finally died down.

"Hey," Eren says, his expression softening, "You wanna come over tomorrow? We're having a movie night."

Armin flounders for words, feeling torn. As much as he would love to see Eren again, there's probably going to be other people there and he's not confident he can deal with it. How is this any different from Sasha's girls night?

"Oh, I don't know..." he says quietly.

"It's just me, Mikasa and Jean. No weirdos. Except for Jean and if he does anything shitty to you, I will kick his ass, okay? What do you say?" Eren says eagerly, voice getting louder for each syllable spoken and Armin can't help but think he looks like a puppy, wagging an invisible tail.

_So cute!_

"Hm, maybe," Armin says cheekily, his mind already made up. Nothing is keeping him away if there's a possibility of Eren looking this cute again.

"Please? You could keep me company while they make goo-goo eyes at each other."

Armin nods in reply, earning a bright smile and his face spreads into a grin as well.

"It's a date then!" Eren says, eyes widening at his words and stammers, "Shit. No. It's... It's a group hang. Yeah. A group hang." He buries his face in his hands and groans; his cheeks dusted pink.

Armin giggles again, and sees Petra over Eren's shoulder, her finger pointing to her wrist watch, motioning for them to hurry up.

"I need to go pay for this," Armin says, holding up his basket. "I'll see you tomorrow, Eren."

"Can't wait," Eren replies, lowering his hand to reveal his beautiful face and Armin's heart skips a beat. He's the one who can't wait.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa, this turned out a lot longer than planned. I could've easily have made it into two parts, but I didn't want to deprive y'all of Eren the cutie. <3
> 
> AHH, I don't know what to say. Too sleep deprived etc. 
> 
> Oh Jean, you tried but I'm sorry, you failed. xD
> 
> Next chapter: The date. Shit, sorry. Group hang. Yeah, right.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what to say, my dudes. This is super long and I'm sorry about the wait. It kind of got out of hand, hahaha. Sorry. :'D

Armin can barely contain his giggles, the sound of his laughter is light and airy as it overflows the emptiness of his bedroom where he lays on his stomach with his phone in a tight grip, still dressed in his pajamas even though it's early in the afternoon.

There are not enough words to describe the way he's feeling right now. His day has been nothing but amazing so far, like something out of a modern fairytale, making him feel giddy with excitement about the supposed group hang later, and the way he's constantly smiling to himself is making his cheeks hurt.

When he and Eren parted ways last night, they had exchanged phone numbers, but Armin never expected the infinite stream of random messages Eren has been sending him ever since. A lot of them are just complaints about Jean ruining his life by not allowing him to get a kitten, to mundane things that shouldn't interest Armin the slightest, but he's drinking in every word written on the small screen like it's the most interesting thing he's ever read.  
  
**[Eren Jaeger, 14.48]:** <Image attached>

 **[Eren Jaeger, 14.48]:** I'm keeping this hostage until you show up lol

Another hearty chuckle escapes Armin's lips, and his tummy erupts with a million butterflies when he opens the image of Eren posing with the KitKat he had forgotten all about, which luckily for him lead to this adorable man sending him selfies that are so cute he doesn't know what to do with himself. If only time would pass by faster so he can see that charming grin in person again, and he yearns to be the one to put such a radiant expression on Eren's face, at least for a moment. Nothing would make him happier.  
  
His fingers dance across the screen as he types, mulling over if it's alright to send something flirtatious back and if complementing the picture is too straightforward. There's still a lingering feeling of doubt in the back of his mind that has him feeling insecure about this entire situation. It's almost too good to be true.

He settles for a simple reply and quickly presses send before he can change his mind, praying that he doesn't come off sounding as stupid as he feels.

 **[Armin Arlert, 14.50]:** Are you extorting me, Eren? :P

The time Armin spends waiting for a reply feels like an eternity, and he nervously bites his nails. When the familiar chime alerts him of a new message he nearly falls off the bed in surprise, his heart hammering inside his chest.  
  
**[Eren Jaeger, 14.52]:** If that's what it takes for you to get your cute butt over here faster then yes?? I suppose I am ;)  
  
Armin almost squeals, and he covers his mouth with his hand, his lips stretching into a wide grin. He quickly sends a smiling emoji back in reply, too flustered to come up with a witty retort.  
  
They exchange a few more messages until Armin has to excuse himself to get ready for the evening. Eren had graciously offered to come pick him up, but Armin refused, insisting that he was perfectly capable of making his way over there by bus. Having Eren drive him would've made him feel insanely guilty, not wanting to burden him more than he has to. As it turns out, they're both equally stubborn and had to settle for a compromise since neither one of them was backing down on the matter. When the night is over, Eren gets to drive Armin home since the buses stop running fairly early during the weekends, which makes perfect sense. But the knowledge that they will be alone in a car together is enough to increase Armin's nervous excitement tenfold.  
  
After a refreshing shower, Armin finds himself in front of his sparse wardrobe in nothing but his boxers, struggling to pick out an outfit. Why is he making such a big deal out of this? Eren has seen him wear his regular clothes countless times already. There's still the possibility that it's an actual date which means he should put in some effort to look nice even if they're just going to sit around on a couch all evening. His thoughts stray towards Eren and what kind of clothes he will be wearing, and he realizes he's never seen him in anything besides that awful green polo shirt or tropical swimming trunks.  
  
There's no point in wasting so much time on something Eren probably might not even notice anyway, Armin figures and finally settles for one of his favorite casual outfits. He pulls on an oversized navy plaid shirt with a detachable black hood on top of a white t-shirt that dips right below his butt, and a pair of fitted light wash jeans that hug his thighs just right. To top it off, he puts on his black rim glasses and strikes a pose in the mirror, smiling and blushing at himself for acting so out of character, but he can't contain his excitement.

 

* * *

  
  
The bus ride is relatively uneventful as to be expected, and Armin plays around on his phone to pass the time. He sends a heads up to both Eren and Mikasa to let them know he's on his way, but he only gets a reply back from Mikasa who just sends him a cryptic message that contains nothing but a winking emoji and a devil. Sighing, he decides not to dwell on the meaning behind it; she's probably teasing him again. He slumps back against the uncomfortable seat and scrolls through the subreddit for cute animals and each time he stumbles upon a picture of a cute kitten; he has to swallow down the urge to send it to Eren.

Ten minutes later, the bus finally arrives at his destination and he almost feels a bit lost when he gets off at the bus stop. Eren and Jean's apartment complex is in the direct opposite direction of his own home as well as the University which means he's rather unfamiliar with the area, but he still manages to find his way eventually thanks to an extended text message Eren sent him with directions earlier.  
  
Of course, they have to live on the top floor in a five-storey building without a working elevator. Armin frowns at the out of order sign as he walks past it, venturing up the stairs, and when he reaches the top his cheeks are flushed from exhaustion, and he's breathing heavily. After taking a moment to collect himself, he gingerly pushes the doorbell and hopes that Mikasa will answer the door.  
  
The door swings open, almost hitting him in the face, and there is Eren, looking as gorgeous as ever. All Armin can do is bask in the sight of him dressed in black sweatpants and a loose gray tank top that's cut way too low, and printed with a faded pineapple motif that is strangely adorable. There's just so much visible skin on display, every part of it looks good enough to eat, and Armin isn't sure if he wants to laugh, cry or drool, or all of the above.

He's well aware that he's gawking, but for once Eren is staring back at him just as intently with an unreadable expression on his face. Mentally scolding himself for being creepy again, Armin breaks the silence between them with a shy wave.

"Hi," he says, voice muffled in his infinity scarf, but the sound of his voice still manages to snap Eren out of whatever it is he's mulling over inside his head.

“You're wearing glasses,” he blurts out, stating the obvious, then clears his throat when his voice comes out too high pitched.

"I am," Armin replies lamely, swallowing thickly, and subconsciously brings a hand up to fiddle with his thick frames. "I need them sometimes when I watch TV for a long time. Do they look weird?"

"Huh? No way," Eren says with a light chuckle, raising a hand to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly. "I would say it's the complete opposite actually. You look great."

A shaky laugh of relief falls from Armin's lips, his face growing warmer when he notices the pink glow decorating Eren's cheeks as well.

Eren clears his throat again, and gestures for Armin to follow him inside.

"Sorry, uh, do you want to come in?" he asks, and he must've realized how silly the question is because he lets out a sheepish laugh as he steps aside to give Armin some space to fit through the entrance. It's not like Armin has come all this way to hang out in the stairwell all evening after all.

Armin chuckles softly, heart thumping wildly in his chest in anticipation of seeing Eren's home with his own eyes.

When Eren leans over to close the door behind them, Armin catches a whiff of deodorant mixed with a faint scent of shampoo and something else he can't pinpoint exactly, but he wouldn't mind drowning in this smell for the rest of his life. It almosts makes him feel dizzy, and he nearly falls over while kicking off his Converse.

“Jean went to pick up Mikasa at Sasha’s. They should be back any minute,” Eren explains, oblivious to Armin's inner turmoil, and quickly gathers some stray shoes laying on the floor to clear a path for Armin before leaving him alone and flustered in the hallway as he walks into the main room.

"Oh," Armin says quietly, shrugging off his outerwear and hangs it up on a coat rack. That explains Mikasa's text message then. She knew Eren would be alone when he arrived, and it was her way of giving them some time by themselves. Not that Armin doesn't appreciate the gesture, but it has him feeling at least ten times as nervous than before. Anything could happen right now. They could...

_Get your mind out of the gutter!_

He cautiously walks up to Eren, eyes sweeping across the surprisingly clean apartment. The living room and kitchen combined into one big room, the only thing separating them is a bar counter accompanied by three stools opposite the entertainment area. Every wall is painted white except for one. There's an eye catching abstract wallpaper behind the TV stand, all in monochrome, something that appears to be a running theme all throughout the place. The furniture is all black with white decorations carefully arranged on every flat surface along with flowers in both windows with flowy red curtains, the only splash of color present in the room except for the fluffy rug underneath the coffee table and the decorative pillows on the couch that follow the same color scheme.

Armin even recognizes several paintings made by Mikasa hanging on the walls; her distinct art style would never escape his eye, every dark but consistent line coming together to form terrifying creatures that never fail to creep Armin out. They are impressive, there's no doubt about it, but he would be lying if he said he hasn't woken up in cold sweat once or twice from a nightmare starring those monsters.

Eren is eyeing him curiously, a small grin playing on his lips as Armin looks around in awe, taking in every detail of the room.

"You seem surprised," Eren muses, poking Armin on the shoulder, startling him.

"It's... it's nice," Armin stammers shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. Honestly, it isn't at all what he had expected while picturing two young men living together. His own apartment is a complete dump in comparison.

"Just nice?" Eren questions, his smile faltering. "My mom and I did this together as a project when I moved in. You know moms, right? They're obsessed with this kind of stuff. She wouldn't take no for an answer," he continues to say, and by the tone of his voice, Armin can tell he's upset but tries to act indifferent about it.  
  
No. Armin doesn't know how moms are supposed to behave, the reminder of his parents passing strikes him hard and his stomach twists uncomfortably. It's not like Eren deliberately brought that up to hurt him, but it still has him wondering what it would be like if his parents were still alive. However, there are more pressing issues at hand that he has to deal with right now. The enthusiasm on Eren's face has been replaced with a sullen expression, and just knowing that Armin is the one who unintentionally put it there by giving such a lukewarm response to something Eren takes pride in makes him feel insanely guilty.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Armin bumps their shoulders together, smiling reassuringly.

"It's more than nice. It's amazing. You did a good job," he says, speaking from the heart. Because it truly is a gorgeous room and he wouldn't mind living here himself. Preferably with Eren.

_Oh, God. What am I even thinking? Way to get ahead of yourself._

"You really think so?" Eren asks, looking unconvinced.

Armin nods in affirmation, and he nervously fiddles with the sleeves of his shirt, his tummy fluttering from the beaming smile he receives in response. His words must've helped because Eren is looking very pleased, almost bashful, a small blush tinting his cheeks.

"Hey," he says excitedly, "Come on, I'll show you the rest."

They wander into a short hallway with a light gray wallpaper in a swirly floral print, significantly different from the overall tone of the main room. There are three black doors, a single one to the left and two more to their right.

"That's the bathroom to the left. Whatever. You’ll probably see the inside of it later," Eren rambles, and then faces the other side and points to the door farthest away from them, "That's my room. I would show it to you, but it's kinda messy right now." He chuckles, and Armin is dying to know what it looks like, but he doesn't object. God knows he would be too ashamed to show off his own room to anyone, let alone Eren.

"And this..." Eren continues with a snicker, "is the stable where we keep the horse."

He opens up the door next to them, revealing a plain looking bedroom with a queen sized bed, laughing at himself as if he's just told the funniest joke. Armin blinks up at him, confused, and offers him a polite smile in return, but then his eyes catch something in his peripheral vision on the wall. There's a framed picture of two young kids staring back at him, and he can barely hold back the coo's threatening to spill out of his lips at the cuteness.

"Is that you and Mikasa?" he asks, stepping closer to get a better look. Mikasa can't be older than 5, and she's sitting on Eren's lap with his arms wrapped around her small frame, and Armin thinks she almost looks like a doll in her little sailor dress. When he notices the cute pouty face little Eren is making, he grins widely. He is so adorable in his sailor suit that matches the clothes Mikasa is wearing.

“That’s so cute,” Armin chirps, his cheeks reddening as he looks over at the real life Eren who rolls his eyes with a similar expression to the one in the picture.

“I was pissed off because I had to wear those stupid clothes and Mikasa spilled ice cream on me,” he mutters.

“You poor thing,” Armin says teasingly. Eren scoffs in response and points to another picture next to it.

“At least I was cuter than Jean. He looked like a cabbage patch doll.”

Armin almost bursts out laughing when he sneaks a peak at Jean’s baby picture. As cruel as Eren appears to be when it comes to his friend, Armin can’t disagree, there are definitely similarities. He still tries and fails, to give Eren a stern look.

“That’s not very nice,” he scolds, narrowing his eyes, laughter seeping into his voice and Eren isn’t making it easier for him to keep himself together. He's laughing as well.

“You’re not that intimidating, you know,” Eren says, mirth dancing in his eyes.

Armin raises a brow and puts his hands on his hips. “You say that now. But wait until I sneak a cabbage doll into your bed while you’re asleep. You won’t be laughing then.”

The threat just seems to spur Eren on more, the amusement evident on his face.

“Yeah?” He takes a step closer, making Armin feel trapped even though there's nothing but space behind him, his pulse racing at the sudden drop in Eren's voice, his tone becoming deep and husky.

"If you want to crawl into my bed, all you have to do is ask," Eren murmurs, causing Armin to blush profusely at the blatant suggestive proposition.

Swallowing hard, Armin stares at the floor; his hand flies up to his face to hide his blush, the skin overheating up to the tip of his ears and down his neck. Even his brain feels like it's burning up just from trying to comprehend what's going on.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Eren says apologetically, tentatively gripping his shoulder. "I was out of line. Shit, Mikasa is going to kill me."

Armin hums noncommittally as he tries to come up with something clever to say but to no avail, the implications of the comment still have him flustered, and he's struggling not to think about the meaning behind it as he attempts to regain his composure.

"Wanna see me at my worst? It might make you feel better."

Armin finally looks up at the suggestion and lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding, his heart rate increases ever so slightly at the proximity between their faces, and he nervously licks his lower lip. The action is not going unnoticed by Eren whose gaze lingers on his mouth for a second too long before clearing his throat, turning away.

"Anyway. Look at this one," Eren says sheepishly, guiding Armin further into the hallway until they're standing in front of what he can only assume is a family photo, Mikasa and Eren being the only familiar faces to Armin.

Well, he can tell it's them even though they're both dressed in exaggerated scene clothes. Mikasa's hair is excessively teased, making her look like a mushroom, with blue extensions underneath. It's not all that different from her current style, but Eren, on the other hand, looks like an entirely different person.

"I look stupid, I know," Eren says with a groan, but he's still smiling.

Armin can't argue with that. But even in torn jeans and an obnoxious printed band t-shirt, he manages to look good with his bangs combed to the side and dyed jet black, not as poofy as Mikasa's hairdo but it has still had some volume to it. There's even smudged eyeliner around his eyes, Armin notices.

"How old were you in this picture?" Armin asks curiously.

"17. Mikasa was 14."

Armin hums softly. How cute. The two of them seem to be so close, and as an only child himself, he can't help but feel a bit envious.

"So who are these other people?" he asks and points to a couple he can only assume is Eren's parents. The resemblance is undeniable, in particular between Eren and his mother who share the same stunning features and Armin figures she's the one to thank for providing the genes that made Eren turn out just as gorgeous.

"This is my mom and dad," Eren explains, his finger coming up to join Armin's, moving from one person to the next. "That's my aunt, Fay." He points to a woman with cropped black hair standing beside his father.

“That's my brother Zeke and his wife, Pieck. They're having a baby next year,” he says proudly.

The man looks nothing like Eren with platinum blond hair and an impressive beard, a pair of rounded glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose, his arms wrapped around a woman with unruly black hair who looks like she's about to fall asleep right then and there.

“Are you excited to be an uncle?” Armin asks, and turns his attention back to Eren, his teal eyes lingering on the picture with a fond expression.

“Yeah. I guess I am. I've always liked kids,” Eren replies softly, crossing his arms over his chest, one hand running up the expanse of his toned upper arm. The sincerity of his words makes Armin's heart swell; it's just too sweet, and he finds himself so entranced by it all, he barely hears the racket of the front door opening and closing, but it doesn't take long before footsteps are heard coming in their direction.

"I'm going to teach that kid everything I know," Eren continues, and as soon as he utters the words, there's a loud snort purposefully interrupting him.

"That won't take very long," Jean says in a slightly mocking tone as he approaches them with Mikasa in tow, a shopping bag in each of her hands. Eren glowers at Jean over Armin's shoulder, arms unfolding and his hands tightening into fists.

"Excuse me?" he says. "I could teach them more than you ever could, horse face."

Sighing, Mikasa looks between the two of them with a displeased frown.

"Jean..." she says, voice low but firm. But then her gaze falls on Armin, and she motions for him to accompany her in the kitchen. He follows without question. Might as well get the interrogation over with, he concludes.

Neither one of them speaks as they busy themselves with unpacking the groceries. Mikasa rummages through the cabinets in search of bowls for their snacks, placing them on the counter. Armin is happy to discover a pack of gummy bears at the bottom in one of the bags.

The sounds of Eren and Jean trying to one up each other by hurling petulant insults and laughing their asses off serves as the perfect distraction as Armin steels himself for whatever it is Mikasa is going to ask him. It's obvious she's working up to something, carefully studying him from the corner of her eye.

“So?" Is all she says when she finally opens her mouth to speak, not at all what Armin had expected, but he still gets the gist of it. He chews the inside of his cheek and gathers the trash off the counter, dumping it in the garbage can before looking up at Mikasa, his eyes wide, trying to look innocent.

"So? he shoots back, smiling weakly.

“Don't be coy, Armin.” Mikasa rolls her eyes, putting a hand on her hip. "You know what I'm talking about."

With a defeated sigh, Armin steps closer and lowers his voice so no one but Mikasa will hear what he's about to say. Thankfully there's still a whole lot of bickering going on across the room.

“I like him." Heat rises in his cheeks at the admission. Pouting, he adds, "There. Are you happy now?”

Mikasa clutches her scarf, a smile playing on her lips. Her joy is apparent by the way her gray eyes shimmer as she gazes from Armin and in the direction of Eren, who is engaged in a wrestling match with Jean, the two of them cursing as they smack each other where they are sprawled out on the floor. If Jean wasn't Mikasa's boyfriend, the display might've stirred some jealousy within him, but right now Armin is too fascinated by how stupid they look to even entertain that thought.

"If you hurt him..." Mikasa says as she turns to face Armin again, her voice small, but laced with an unspoken threat that Armin doesn't fail to pick up on. He instantly shakes his head, blond locks fanning his cheeks as he holds his hands up defensively.

"What? No... No, I wouldn't," he splutters, the notion so ridiculous he can't even begin to wrap his mind around it.

“I know. But it's my sisterly duty to tell you this anyway,” Mikasa says in amusement and pats Armin's head, and he returns the gesture with a sheepish grin and hugs her, cheeks flushed, and heaves a content sigh at having survived the confrontation which was less scary than anticipated.

Their moment is abruptly cut short when Jean strolls into the kitchen and proceeds to lean his body against the bar counter, folding his arms. He clears his throat, eyes searching for Armin's as he gazes straight at him. It makes Armin want to hide away under Mikasa's scarf, he's still a bit apprehensive about Jean since their last encounter and after listening to him insult Eren like it's second nature to him the feeling has only increased.

“Hey, uh. Armin, right?” Jean says gruffly as he shifts on his feet. Mikasa pulls Armin closer to her chest in a protective hold as if sensing his discomfort.

“Yeah?” Armin replies quietly, voice muffled. The familiar scent of Mikasa's perfume is soothing, easing some of the tension as he snuggles into her embrace.

Jean coughs. "I was a dick yesterday. I'm sorry."

Eren yells across the room, "You're a dick every day, Jean."

Everyone ignores the comment, but Armin's lip twitches slightly.

"It's fine," he says shyly, resting his head on Mikasa's shoulder.

"Cool, cool," Jean says with a small chuckle and rubs the back of his head before taking two of the bowls of snacks sitting on the counter and carries them into the living room.

Mikasa lets go of her hold on Armin and pecks his cheek, leaving a purple lipstick stain on his skin.

"You don't have to be afraid," she tells him, smiling softly. "Eren finds you very charming."

Groaning, Armin turns on the faucet and wets a paper towel, wiping off his face that's more pink than purple right now. Mikasa laughs quietly as she picks up a large bowl of potato chips and follows her boyfriend.

 _Charming? Me?_ Armin thinks, sighing, and dries his hands and tosses the paper in the bin. _There's no way...  
_

With a shaky breath, he grabs some snacks as well and shuffles over to the other side of the room where Eren is currently laying on the couch while flipping through the channels, the loud noise of a commercial blasting through the speakers. His tank top is riding up, exposing a mouth watering v-line leading into the hem of a pair of red boxers, and Armin almost stumbles, clutching the bowl to his chest to prevent it from spilling. Jean returns with two large soda bottles.

"You lazy piece of shit. How about you help out for once, huh?" He scowls and picks up a pillow, aiming at Eren's face, but he's too slow, and Eren successfully manages to catch it with his right hand. Smirking, he places it under his head as he offers Jean nothing but a dismissive wave. His eyes are too busy ogling the juicy hamburger on the TV to even dignify him with a response.

“Man I could go for a cheeseburger right now," he says, gazing longingly at the screen.

"Dude, we had burgers like two days ago," Jean says and rolls his eyes, whacking Eren's legs until he moves them enough to give him room to sit down. "I want pizza."

"What was the point in getting all of this if we're having pizza?" Mikasa asks and gestures to the huge selection presented to them on the table, frowning. "Didn't you have dinner beforehand?"

“Come on, Mikasa. Live a little," Eren says with a grin, and then turns to Armin, "You want pizza right? Armin?"

As if on cue, Armin's stomach rumbles, and he lets out a weak laugh. He hasn't eaten anything since lunch, and all this talk about food is making him hungry. So he nods in reply, shifting on his feet as he tries to work up the courage to sit down on the cramped couch next to them.

Eren pumps his fist in the air. "Then it's settled. I'll order, and you guys decide on a movie, okay?" he says, getting up to stretch before venturing in the direction of his bedroom.

Mikasa nudges Armin, motioning for him to take a seat, and he slowly walks over to the end where Eren's head had been resting a moment ago. He removes the pillows and slumps down, Mikasa doing the same but on the far end on the opposite side, which means the empty spot between him and Jean will be occupied by Eren when he returns. Unable to focus on anything other than the knowledge that he will be sitting right next to Eren all night, Armin twiddles his thumbs in his lap, his heart skipping a beat.

"So, what are we watching?" Jean asks, placing an arm behind Mikasa's head and she leans against his shoulder, burying her face in her scarf.

"I have already picked a movie," she says softly. "I'll just stream it from my phone when Eren gets back."

"If it's one of those sappy shit movies he likes, I'm out. I still haven't recovered from last weekend," Jean says with a scoff.

"What did you guys watch?" Armin pipes up, nervously picking lint off his shirt. He's feeling a bit uncomfortable without Mikasa next to him, and he had secretly been hoping that she would act as a buffer between him and the others, but he's going to have to rely on himself.

"The Notebook," Jean and Mikasa answer in unison, making Armin chuckle. He should've known already that Eren was a fan of romantic movies after spewing that horrible pickup line yesterday at the store. Eren chooses that exact moment to return, and he plops down next to Armin, causing him to yelp slightly in surprise.

"The pizza will be here in half an hour. Did you pick a movie?"

Mikasa nods in reply and starts scrolling on her phone; Jean leans over to glance at the screen, humming under his breath.

Eren's firm thigh press tightly against Armin's, and he can feel his body heat seep through the material of the pants. There's a flutter in his tummy so ferocious it almost makes him nauseous, and he bites the inside of his lip to distract himself. How is he supposed to endure a whole night feeling like this? It's like a dream come true, but at this rate, he won't be able to follow the movie at all when he's so hyper aware in Eren's presence.

"Aw, look at that little guy. Isn't he cute?" Eren coo's at the television screen where a cat food commercial is currently playing. A fluffy black kitten is digging into a huge bowl of wet food, and it's enough for Eren’s expression to brighten instantly.

"Don't even start, Eren," Jean says with a groan. "We've been over this a million times already."

"But... but. Look at his little face! And his paws. Aw, isn't he adorable, Armin?" Eren rambles on excitedly, giving Armin the biggest puppy eyes he's ever seen, they’re almost sparkling.

"Eren," Mikasa says, her voice stern. "Do I need to remind you of The Hamster Incident of 2004?"

"Geez, Mikasa. When are you going to let that go?" Eren says, exasperated. "I was 8! How was I supposed to know that pickles are bad for hamsters? I'm a grown man now. I can take care of a kitten just fine."

Jean snorts in amusement and receives an elbow to the side by Eren.

"Shut up," he growls and begins to spread his legs wider and knock his knee together with Jean's, nearly crushing Armin against the armrest in the process. "And stop manspreading, Jeanbo. There's barely any room for the rest of us."

Armin cautiously watches them jump into yet another argument. Does everything really have to be a fight between these two?

Jean rolls his eyes and gestures to his crotch, a smug smirk etched on his face.

"Dude, my junk needs room to breathe. I understand that you don't have these issues, Little Dick, but people like me ne-"

"If you say another word I will personally break your dick in half," Eren snarls, getting all up in Jean's face, eyes narrowing.

Mikasa watches the two of them in silence before reaching over to grab the remote off the coffee table and crawls into Jean's lap, leaning close to his ear.

"Jean, remember what we talked about in the car?" she says in a sweet voice, one of her hands coming up to draw invisible patterns on his chest, the action causing him to flush and he gapes at her, wide-eyed, as he nods slowly.

"Good. So what do you have to say to Eren?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this. Shit. Okay. Sorry, Eren," Jean mutters, not sounding all that convincing.  
  
"Man, you're so whipped," Eren says with a smirk, shaking his head. Jean's eyebrows draw together, a look of annoyance gracing his features, eye twitching.

"And you," Mikasa continues, her focus on Eren this time. "Keep this up, or I won't hesitate to tell Armin all about The Vacuum Incident of 2010."

Eren's face blanches with horror, and he shrinks back into the couch, leaning closer to Armin who is thoroughly confused about what's going on, but can't deny he's a tiny bit intrigued by this piece of information.

"You wouldn't..." Eren whimpers.

Tilting her head, Mikasa gives him a death stare. "Oh, I would. Hey, Armin, when Eren was..."

Suddenly Armin's ears are covered by Eren's hands without warning, and he gasps in surprise, heat rising in his cheeks. He can still make out the sounds of Eren whining and complaining, and it's making him even more curious to find out what happened that's so embarrassing Eren doesn't want him to know about it.

It doesn't take long for Eren to withdraw his hands and he mumbles a quiet _'sorry'_ , and Armin ducks his head to hide his blush.

Mikasa must've sorted out the movie during the whole ordeal because it's already started streaming and Armin instantly recognizes the scenes from the trailer he’s watched countless times already. He's been dying to watch this, but he hasn't gotten around to it.

"Is this... Kimi no na wa?" he asks excitedly, a grin forming on his face when Mikasa gives him an affirmative nod.

"Oh, this is supposed to be so good," he says, sighing in content, eyes fixed on the beautiful animation, barely noticing how close Eren is sitting even though there's more than enough room for him next to Jean now. But when an arm comes to lay on the backrest behind Armin, he almost stops breathing, and his mouth goes dry when his nostrils are invaded by the addictive smell from before.  
  
It doesn't take long for Armin to realize that he's probably going to have to rewatch this movie when he's alone at home, far away from Eren and his stupidly pretty face. It doesn't help that he keeps leaning in to comment on whatever is happening on the screen, his warm breath tickling the sensitive skin of Armin's neck. He can barely focus on the plot when all he can think about is how badly he wishes that Eren would just lower his arm slightly and wrap it around his shoulders. Hand clutched together in his lap, Armin fidgets in his seat and tries to calm his raging heartbeat. He's convinced everyone can hear how wildly it's hammering against his ribcage.

Thankfully he's allowed a short breather when Eren gets up to greet the pizza delivery guy at the door. Armin takes the opportunity to absorb everything happening in the movie since Eren insisted they keep watching without him.

Armin eats way too much, too fast, and it makes him feel a bit drowsy, so he slumps back against the couch while the others are busy with their food. So he takes a moment to study Eren's profile. His upper body is leaning forward to reach the table, so there's no risk of Armin getting caught ogling him. From this particular angle, he's awarded the perfect view as the arm holes of Eren's loose tank top gives him a glimpse of a protruding nipple.  
  
_What am I doing?_ Armin mentally berates himself, chewing the inside of his lip as he allows his gaze to remain on the dark bud for a few more seconds before his eyes drop lower, widening in surprise when he notices something he wasn't prepared to see. He has to take a deep breath to compose himself as he stares at the distinct outline of Eren's crotch through his pants and comes to the conclusion that Jean is full of shit because there's nothing small about Eren's dick as far as he can tell. That knowledge stirs something inside of him, and he has to tug his shirt down to cover the excitement going on in his own pants.

 _Oh my God,_ he chants over and over in his head. _This is messed up. I'm messed up._

He knows he should look away and try to ignore the prominent bulge just sitting there in his line of vision, but he just keeps staring at it, getting progressively more aroused by the second.

"Are you okay, Armin? You're looking a little feverish."

Armin freezes. Mikasa's gray eyes are burning a hole in the side of his head. The humiliation of getting caught has him staring at the floor, his hands digging into the couch cushions as he fights the blush crawling up his face, but he can feel it all the way up to the roots of his hair.  
  
Eren turns to him, his eyebrows furrowed in concern as he licks pizza sauce off his fingers in a way that definitely isn't helping the situation, coating the digits with saliva before placing his hand on Armin's forehead without a second thought. It shouldn't excite Armin as much as it does. Anyone else would probably find it gross, but the logical part of his brain has stopped functioning a long time ago. When he feels the moisture on his skin, he only gets more flustered because that's practically an indirect kiss, isn't it?  
  
"Hmm, you feel kinda warm. Here, take this." Eren reaches over to grab a fleece blanket that's been thrown haphazardly on the backrest and proceeds to gently tuck Armin in until he resembles a human burrito, but it prevents his arousal from becoming too obvious at least.

"Do you want more food?" Eren asks softly, and Armin shakes his head. He wouldn't be able to take another bite.

"Just something to drink if it's not too much trouble," he says with a small smile. The way Eren fusses over him as if he's special to him has his tummy fluttering madly with butterflies.  
  
Humming, Eren takes Armin's discarded glass and fills it up with Pepsi. Their fingers brush slightly when he hands it over, and Armin immediately swallows most of it in one go but begins coughing when it goes down the wrong pipe, and Eren is quick to lend some support by patting his back.

“Hey, easy,” Eren says with a chuckle. “Man, you must’ve been really thirsty, huh?”

Nodding, Armin continues to take small sips, his cheeks aflame.

“Yeah, he’s very thirsty,” Mikasa pipes up, causing him to almost choke on his drink and he sets the glass aside while glaring at her, which she just ignores in favor of cuddling up to Jean who is gently stroking her hair. The two of them are so disgustingly sweet, and Armin fears that he might get diabetes just from looking at them.  
  
“See what I mean? They are so gross. I'm glad you're here to keep me company."” Eren rolls his eyes and throws his body back against the couch and starts tugging at the end of the blanket that's stuck underneath Armin's body. Armin lifts his hips to allow Eren to pull it out and wrap himself up as well, the two of them sharing it like they're some kind of couple. Snuggling into the fabric, Eren beams at him, and it's all so intimate he nearly dies from happiness.

“Yeah,” Armin says timidly, glancing over at the couple. Jean is whispering something in Mikasa's ear that makes her snort, and she covers her mouth with her scarf.

“Hey, what’s so funny?” Eren asks loudly, elbowing Jean in the side. “Care to share it with the rest of us, huh?”

“Shut up and watch the movie, you fucking hypocrite.” Jean scoffs, and before Eren gets the chance to respond, Mikasa looks him dead in the eye and says:

“Vacuum cleaner, Eren.”

Groaning, he turns his attention back to the television and leans his head back.

When they're getting close to the end of the movie, Armin hears a muffled sound of someone sniffling, and when he turns to Eren, he's rubbing the corner of his eye with the palm of his hand. The blanket is pulled up to his chin, and he's just looking so distraught, Armin can't resist the urge to comfort him. He awkwardly pats him on the shoulder.

"You okay?" he asks cautiously.

"M'fine. My allergies are acting up, I guess," Eren replies, clearing his throat and blinks his eyes.

"You don't have allergies, Jaeger," Jean adds smugly, but then Mikasa pinches him, and he lets out a groan in pain that has both Eren and Armin chuckling.

That's when Armin feels something grazing his hand underneath the blanket, the touch so subtle he shrugs it off as an accident and tries to focus on the movie. But then it happens again, this time more insistent and his heart speeds up when it dawns on him that Eren’s fingers are caressing him, their movements gentle but persistent as they dance across his bare skin and the warmth of his fingertips sends a shiver down his spine as he struggles to breathe.  
  
Armin sneaks a glance at Eren and finds him staring at the television, looking perfectly composed. Meanwhile, Armin is freaking out. Is Eren indirectly asking to hold his hand? Maybe he doesn't realize it's Armin he's touching and not the couch. But that doesn't make sense; no one would ever make that kind of mistake. Armin knows he's grasping at straws right now, but he just can't believe it's happening.  
  
Tentatively Armin starts to move his fingers as well, his hand trembling as he feels Eren run his fingertips from his wrist to the smooth expanse of his hand until he reaches the knuckles, lightly brushing them. When he finally laces their fingers together in a firm grip, Armin gasps softly.  
  
Neither one of them utters a single word during the remainder of the movie, but Eren's thumb is consistently trailing over Armin's skin, and it makes his chest swell with affection. Their hands just fit together so well, everything about it just feels right. If only he could be this happy all the time.

It's not until the ending credits start rolling when Eren bumps their shoulders together and starts rambling on about how much he enjoyed the movie, telling Armin which parts were his favorites, to which Armin just smiles shyly, too flustered to reply.

"I mean, I don't usually like anime, but this was amazing," Eren says, grinning, and squeezes Armin's hand.  
  
"Wow, you like sappy romance movies. What a shocker," Jean says incredulously, tapping away at his cell phone with his free hand. Mikasa straightens her upper body and squints her eyes sleepily before she lets out a yawn. She must've been close to dozing off at the end, her hair messy from cuddling Jean like a teddy bear for nearly two hours. She rubs her eye and tugs on Jean's sleeve to get his attention.

“Let’s go to bed,” she says in a tired voice, glancing over at Armin and gives him a small wink that Jean fails to notice.

“But I’m not tired?” Jean states, frowning.

“Jean. You are very, very tired,” Mikasa says flatly, sounding like she's trying to hypnotize him, all that's missing is a watch swinging back and forth from her hand in front of his face. But he still doesn't catch on, which makes it even more ridiculous since she might as well been shouting _'let's give them some time by themselves'_ at the top of her lungs.

"I thought we all could play video games or something?" he says, furrowing his brows. Mikasa pinches him again, and he hisses in pain, rubbing his sore arm while looking like a kicked puppy. "Geez, fine."

Mikasa bids Armin and Eren good night and practically drags Jean away by the arm, leaving the two of them alone.

Even though there's still music playing on the TV, the silence is deafening as they just sit there, neither one of them making a move. Armin doesn't know what he's supposed to do now. Something is bound to happen; he is certain of it by the palpable tension in the air. But he can't bring himself to look at Eren, let alone speak to him, his eyes downcast as his heart thumps along to the song in the background.

"Armin," Eren says eventually, his voice gentle. “Look at me.”

It takes him a couple of seconds of coaxing before Armin finally dares to look up, painfully aware that he resembles a ripe tomato right now. Eren gives him an encouraging smile when their eyes lock.

"See? That wasn't so hard was it?" he says softly, smiling as he brushes away strands of stray hair off Armin's face, gazing at him fondly as he tucks it behind a blazing red ear.  
  
Armin lets out a shaky breath, offering a shy smile in return. Both of them sit in silence; the music has stopped playing by now, as they gaze into each other's eyes. Eren's thumb settles on Armin's jaw, his intense teal eyes darting from Armin's wide blue ones to his lips for a brief moment before looking up again. Armin's tongue unconsciously wets his dry lips, his heart pounding hard in anticipation. Eren watches his every move, eyes half-lidded.

"Can I kiss you?" he murmurs. "Please. I really want to kiss you."

Armin stares at him, almost dumbfounded because the answer should be obvious, so he just nods his head as his eyes flutter shut, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He can feel his glasses being removed and placed on the coffee table.  
  
Then Eren's lips are on his, and they're soft, so soft, and it takes Armin a moment to reciprocate, still not convinced that this isn't a dream. But he finally kisses Eren back, timidly at first, trying to mimic his movements. Eren lets go of his hand and wraps his arms around him instead, pulling their chests flush together, their knees knocking against each other from the awkward angle. Armin's body tingles from the warmth of Eren's mouth against his, and when he softly nibbles on his lower lip, Armin nearly whimpers. Kissing Eren feels so much better than he could've ever imagined, every tender press of the lips is making his head spin, and he can't hold back the moans spilling out of his mouth.  
  
It's painfully obvious Armin isn't as skilled, but he's trying his best to keep up. However, Eren doesn't seem to care that Armin is practically slobbering all over him, it almosts seems to spur him on more. He tangles his fingers in Armin's hair and tilts his head as the hot tip of his tongue teasingly sweeps along the seam of Armin's mouth, asking for entrance that Armin is more than willing to grant him.   
  
When their tongues brush for the first time, Eren lets out a groan, the sound going straight to Armin's already hardening cock. He lets out a similar noise, breathing heavily and opens his mouth wider, allowing Eren's tongue to delve farther inside, craving the sweet taste he's already become addicted to, their tongues swirling together.  
  
Eren draws back for a moment, and Armin lets out a small whine from the loss, wanting nothing more than to jump back in for another kiss. They pant into each other's mouths, and Eren grins, his lips glistening. He mumbles Armin's name softly, his voice so quiet, Armin almost doesn't catch it over the sound of his heart pounding in his ears.  
  
When Eren starts trailing kisses on the sensitive skin under his ear down to the side of his jaw, Armin gasps, the sensation so intense and not enough at the same time. He wants more, so much more and Eren's eager mouth proceeds to nip down his throat, peppering kisses along his collarbones, licking at the skin and sucking carefully. Armin leans his head back, his lips parting in a sigh.  
  
"Eren..." he breathes, cheeks flushing when Eren gazes at him with hooded eyes and suddenly grips his shoulders to hoists himself up, slinging a leg over Armin's thighs until he's straddling his lap. Armin lets out a yelp in surprise and flails his arms, feeling something hard and heavy press up against him. In this position, he can tell that Eren is as excited as he is and it only turns him on more.  
  
"Please, Armin," Eren says, his voice needy as he curls his arms around Armin's neck, slotting their bodies together and moans as he slowly rolls his hips.   
  
Armin's hands land on Eren's sides in a clumsy grip, unsure of what he's supposed to do. He's never done anything like this before, and his lack of experience is making him feel self-conscious. Surely Eren isn't going to be satisfied by his lackluster technique, and there's only a matter of time before it all ends. Doubts start to cloud his mind, and it's causing him to feel more and more afraid of messing up for every second they spend doing this. Despite the incredible feeling of Eren being so close to him, he's unable to relax and enjoy it as much as he wants to.

Eren stills his hips and releases his hold on him, giving Armin every reason to assume the moment is over and it's all because of him, the realization makes his eyes prickle with tears, and he ducks his head in frustration and lets out a trembling breath.

 _Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry!_  
  
"Hey, it's okay," Eren says gently, grabbing his chin to tilt his head up and presses their lips together in a fleeting kiss. Armin makes a faint, embarrassed noise and blinks up at him through his lashes, opening his mouth to speak, but not a single word comes out. 

"We don't have to anything if you don't want to," Eren continues and caresses Armin's cheek. "I understand."

Armin shakes his head, clutching the thin fabric of Eren's tank top to prevent him from leaving.

"I want to," he says quietly. "I just don't... I don't... know what to do."

Prepared for the impending rejection, Armin sniffles, cursing himself for ruining such a perfect moment. But then Eren takes Armin's hands and guides them until they're resting on his ass instead.

"Just follow my lead, okay?"

Armin nods in reply, earning a smile and one more kiss that breaks off far too soon. As promised, Eren begins to move again, setting a slow but steady pace, and buries his face in the side of Armin's neck, muffling his moans against his skin. His hands grab the backrest on the couch for support as he rotates his hips, and Armin shakily pushes his own up to meet him, the friction driving him crazy.  
  
At a particularly hard thrust, Armin throws his head back with a cry, cringing at how ridiculous he sounds, but quickly forgets his previous inhibitions when Eren shifts his hips and their erections align perfectly.  
  
Armin feels like he's drowning, his mind lost in the haze of pleasure coursing through him while his hands wander all over Eren's backside, reveling in the sensation of the round, and surprisingly soft, ass cheeks in his palms. He fumbles to massage them experimentally, and he must be doing something right because the response from Eren is instantaneous as he starts going faster at an almost frantic speed, a breathy whine slipping from his lips.  
  
"Ahh... feels so good." Eren sighs against his neck, warm puffs of air tickling the skin.  
  
Then he sits back up and grabs a fistful of Armin's hair as he brings their lips back together in a sloppy kiss, both of them moaning and panting into each other's mouths as they rock together. Armin feels the familiar tightness in his crotch building closer and closer to the edge with every firm press of their cocks, and he rolls his hips with more fervor.  
  
"Ohh, fuck. Shit. Fuck." Eren's voice rises higher in desperation; unintelligible curses pour out of his mouth. "I'm close... so close, Armin. Oh my God."   
  
Armin lets out a long, ragged breath and grips Eren tighter as he grinds up, waves of pleasure rippling through him and captures Eren's lips again to muffle his cries because Eren is so loud, it wouldn't surprise him if the entire building can hear everything through the walls at this point.  
  
When Armin finally comes he's so overwhelmed by the intensity of it, he accidentally bites down on Eren's lower lip, causing him to let out a hiss of pain but it also manages to trigger his impending orgasm as well. He curls his hand around Armin's, twining their fingers together as he rides it out, loud moans spilling past his lips.  
  
Armin feels like he's drunk, sated and relaxed as he leans his head against the backrest, trying to calm his rapid heartbeat. The insides of his boxers are damp and stick to his skin, but he can't bring himself to care right now. Eren rolls off him, sprawling out on the couch as he slumps his head against Armin's shoulder and lets out a content sigh.  
  
"Holy shit." He chuckles lowly, tilting his head to look up at Armin, his bangs messy from their activities. There's a sheen layer of sweat coating his forehead, and he's gazing at Armin with so much affection, he might as well have been gripping Armin's heart and squeezing it with his bare hands.

"That was... nice," Armin says lamely, blushing when Eren lets out a snort in response.

"Nice my ass. It was amazing," Eren mumbles groggily into his neck and places a soft kiss on his skin and groans. "I'm sleepy. Can you carry me? I can't move."  
  
He holds his arms up toward Armin, who can't suppress a giggle at the cute display, but then he remembers Eren's promise to drive him home after the movie and the busses have probably stopped running by now.  
  
"Eren, I should get home," he says, suddenly feeling anxious again despite everything they've done. He averts his gaze as he mulls over the options in his head. Calling a Taxi would probably be the wisest choice, there's no way he's walking home alone in the dark through an unfamiliar area. He doesn't expect Eren just to drop everything and give him a ride when he's about to fall asleep.

"Stay," Eren says quietly, his arms fall to Armin's lap and grabs one of his hands, twining their fingers together. "I want to cuddle."

If this is how adorable Eren gets when he's tired, Armin isn't sure how he can refuse such a tempting offer, his insides fluttering madly.  
  
"If that's okay?" he says timidly, turning his head to gaze at Eren, his ears burning red. "I don't want you to feel obligated to let me stay because of... what we did."

"I would've asked you to stay even if we hadn't taken things this far," Eren admits, almost sounding shy.

"Oh."

After catching their breaths on the couch for a while longer, Armin pulls Eren to his feet, his body swaying a bit, so he puts an arm around Armin's hips as they shuffle past Jean's room, trying to stay quiet. Armin had managed to forget all about their friends, but now it suddenly hits him that they must've heard everything and been gracious enough not to complain about it. He's not sure if he will be able to face them in the morning.  
  
Eren's room isn't as messy as he had previously claimed, but still not as spotless as the rest of the apartment. It's pretty cozy, Armin thinks, as he glances around the small space. The bed is definitely big enough to fit both of them, and just thinking about how they will be sleeping in it together has him blushing profusely. There's an adorable navy blue bedspread with cartoon whales printed on them laying on top of it, and Armin can't wait to bury himself in it because he's suddenly feeling very drowsy even though it can't be later than 21.30.

"Uh, I'll be right back," Eren says, scratching the back of his head when Armin takes a seat on the mattress and rests his hands on his lap. Blinking, he watches Eren slip out of the room only to return a moment later, handing over a towel.

"I figured you would want to clean up," he says, clearing his throat, reminding Armin about the mess in his underwear and he realizes he has nothing to change into, but Eren must've been reading his mind.

"I'll get you something to sleep in, okay?"

Nodding, Armin takes the damp towel and turns around while Eren rummages through the closet. He discreetly reaches inside his pants to wipe himself off, his face burning at the fact that he's touching his private parts right in front of Eren like this.

"You can just throw it in the hamper when you're done," Eren says, waving his hand in the direction of it.

"Thank you," Armin says softly and walks over to the corner to toss it in, trying not to stare at all the bright colored boxers he spots inside of it. Eren turns back to face him, holding a bundle of clothes to his chest.

"I'm not sure if these will fit," he says and holds up a pair of black shorts, and Armin can't disagree. They look way too large for him, but there's a drawstring at the waist so they might still work.

"I'm sure they will be fine," Armin says, smiling. "Thanks."

"I got this too. It's small on me so it should be perfect for you," Eren explains as he unfolds a sky blue t-shirt with a pink dinosaur wearing sunglasses printed on the chest.

“Cute shirt,” Armin says cheekily.

“Oi, are you making fun of me?” Eren asks, sticking his lower lip out in a pout. Armin approaches him with a smile playing on his mouth before reaching up to peck him on the cheek.

“Wouldn't you like to know?”

Eren doesn’t waste any time and drops the clothes to the floor in favor of throwing his arms around Armin, making him gasp in surprise.

“Armin, I really like you.”

Eyes widening, Armin gingerly brings his arms up to hug him back, his heart thudding hard. Their chests are flush together, and he can feel Eren's heart beating in perfect sync with his own.

“I like you too,” Armin whispers into his neck, his eyes falling shut as he inhales Eren’s scent, the tips of his ears burning up.

They stay like this for a couple of seconds before Eren pulls back to grab Armin's chin, tilting his head up, so their gazes meet, his cheeks flushed pink, and he opens and closes his mouth a few times without uttering a single syllable.  
  
“Would you, uh…" he starts, tentatively. He lets out a short breath before he stammers, "I was wondering if you... would... would you be my boyfriend?"  
  
For the second time that evening, Armin flounders for words and just stares at him, dumbfounded, feeling the heat rising in his cheeks. From the hopeful expression on Eren's face, he can only conclude that he's a hundred percent serious about this.  
  
“If you want me to be,” Armin squeaks, feeling his blush creep down to his neck, making him feel like he's about to catch on fire.  
  
“Do _you_ want to?” Eren asks, his eyebrows pinched together. “I obviously want to be with you since I asked, but I need to know what you want, okay? I won't get mad if you say no.”  
  
It's all so unreal, Armin thinks, as he breaks into a bright smile, his eyes crinkling in the corners. Now when he knows how wonderful it feels to be with Eren, he never wants them to go back to the way they used to be. He's not sure his heart would be able to take it.  
  
"I want to." Airy laughs spill past his lips as he holds onto Eren's tank top, beaming up at him. Then he's enveloped in another hug, this one tighter and Eren lets out a sigh of relief, stroking his hair.

"Shit," he says, chuckling. "I was so afraid you would say no, you have no idea."

_Oh, I think I can imagine._

Armin hums softly in response before they break apart, both grinning widely at each other with rosy cheeks. They share a chaste kiss before Eren excuses himself, considerate enough to leave the room to change into his sleep wear in the bathroom while Armin tries on the clothes he's gathered off the floor.  
  
As expected, the shorts fit if he pulls the string hard enough, but he's almost drowning in the shirt no matter what Eren says about it being too small on him. However, the worn out fabric is so soft and feels comfortable against his skin. Best of all, it smells just like Eren and Armin has to resist burying his nose in it. Biting his lip, he wonders if Eren would be offended if he put his soiled underwear in the hamper with his laundry, but after thinking it over for a couple of seconds he figures it's probably okay. It's all going in the wash anyway. Then he crawls underneath the comforter while he waits for Eren to get back, unable to contain the butterflies flapping around in his tummy.   
  
Eren turns off the light when he comes back, dressed in gray plaid pajama bottoms and a white tank top. He has to climb over Armin to get in bed, and he presses a quick kiss to Armin's cheek as he tries to wriggle into place next to the wall. They lay facing each other, their hands laced together on the mattress between them. The street light shines through the window so Armin can still make out the adorable sight of Eren resting his head on a fluffy blue pillow, his eyes soft.

Nothing could possibly ruin this moment, Armin thinks.

But then he hears it. It's faint at first but grows increasingly louder in a matter of seconds, and Armin's eyes go almost comically wide when there's a loud moan coming from the next room.  
  
"Is he... is he okay?" he asks quietly, watching Eren groan and bury his face in his palms. "Is he dying?"  
  
The noises keep getting louder and more desperate, and Armin turns red as a tomato at the implications of what's going on. He's not sure he even wants to picture Mikasa doing anything remotely sexual.

"Why do they have to do this now?" Eren grumbles to himself, groaning when there's the sound of furniture smacking against the wall, and Jean seems to be having the time of his life.

"Is he always this loud?" Armin asks, thoroughly embarrassed at this point.

"Only when she pegs him," Eren replies, sighing. He brings a fist up to bang against the wall. "Oi! We're trying to sleep in here!"

_"Shut up, Eren!"_

"Pegs?" Armin blinks at him, not sure if he's heard that word before. Chuckling, Eren pulls him close and gives him a kiss at the top of his head.

"Trust me. You're better off not knowing."

Humming contently, Armin closes his eyes and slings an arm over Eren's chest, trying to ignore whatever is taking place in Jean's room.

"Good night, Armin," Eren whispers. "Sweet dreams."

Smiling, Armin whispers back, "Good night, Eren."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh. Look at me posting an Eremin fic and ignoring my WIP Aokaga fic. Sue me.
> 
> This is just a silly little thing I've been working on for a while. I've never written for this pairing before (not counting several abandoned WIPS lol) and I'm scared, ahh. Dunno what else to say. I'm tired and Eremin is the love of my life. The end.
> 
> English is my second language and this wasn't beta'd etc.
> 
> Next chapter will have some Armin/Mikasa stuff. Woop woop.
> 
> The end again.


End file.
